


Worm Charming

by GremlinSR



Category: Naruto
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon-Typical Human Experimentation, Don’t copy to another site, Ensui is Shikaku's Brother, Epic, Eventual Romance, F/M, Family Fluff, For Want of a Nail, Humor, M/M, Minor Character Death, Moles (Animals), Plot-heavy, Politics, Shikaku is Godaime, Some Angst and Tragedy, The Lazy Nara Revolution, kidnapping of a minor
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-31
Updated: 2019-07-03
Packaged: 2019-10-19 23:29:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 75,121
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17611106
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GremlinSR/pseuds/GremlinSR
Summary: After Minato's death, Shikaku is thrust into a position he never expected and certainly never wanted. It isn't long before he discovers a wealth of corruption and sabotage that threatens the very foundation of the village he is sworn to protect.  Using every ounce of his famous Nara intellect and cunning, Shikaku struggles to outmaneuver hidden enemies in order to keep his village and family safe.Or: A for want of a nail story in which Nara Shikaku becomes Hokage after Minato’s death and promptly turns everything on its head.





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been working on this for forever, and am so excited to share it. It's very canon divergent and in some instances non-compliant (small things, such as Ensui being Shikaku's brother and the moles, nothing major).
> 
> The before-canon timeline is tough to pin down though I tried my very hardest to get the details right. Since a lot of this is already written...just roll with it if it seems off. It's an AU, anyway. :)
> 
> Also, special thanks to DirtyAim for the encouragement and suggestions, and also to my secret, mysterious-to-everyone-but-me beta (You-Know-Who?). Seriously, you two helped me suck it up and start posting instead of hemming and hawing. So thanks.
> 
> Long Author's Note, over!

“Most worm charming methods involve vibrating the soil, which encourages the worms to the surface...the worms surface because the vibrations are similar to those produced by digging moles, which prey on earthworms.” [~Wikipedia Entry on Worm Charming](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Worm_charming)

* * *

Shikaku stared down at the letter in his hands. Minato’s neat handwriting spelled out his name on the front and the wound in his soul that had been festering for two days twinged.

This was the last missive he would ever receive from his friend unless he had any other post-mortem surprises up his sleeve. Shikaku ran a hand down his face and chuckled, though it came out strangled. He wouldn’t be surprised. Minato was _-_ had been _-_ sneaky that way.

Shocked was too mild a word for Shikaku's reaction when Sarutobi Hiruzen told him that he was the preferred candidate for the next Hokage. The hat was something he’d never contemplated as a part of his future. He had known, from the age of fifteen, that one day Minato would be his Hokage and his job would be to advise and support him.

Before he could flat out refuse the post, however, Sarutobi had slid the envelope across his desk. “Please wait to give your answer until you read this.” His expression had been grim, but his eyes were kind.

So Shikaku had taken the envelope and walked to his office in a daze. He’d been sitting in there, just staring at the innocuous piece of paper, for almost fifteen minutes.

He took a deep breath, then picked up his letter opener and slit open the envelope carefully. He pulled the crisp paper out, wondering what possible explanation Minato could give him for marking Shikaku down as his chosen candidate for Hokage should he die.

His hands were steady when he unfolded the thick pages only because years of fighting through impossible situations had hardened him. Inside, he was shaking.

> _My dear friend,_
> 
> _I suppose if you’re reading this you’ve either been snooping where you shouldn’t again or I’m dead. If it’s the first, put this back before you embarrass the both of us._
> 
> _If it is the latter...I am so sorry to leave such a large burden on your shoulders. I know this is not something you would have chosen for yourself, so I ask that before you refuse, to please read this all the way through._
> 
> _When I first told Lord Sarutobi of my choice for a successor should I die, he was surprised. I think he anticipated me putting Kushina down, or perhaps Jiraiya-sensei. The reasons I gave him were twofold, and once I shared them with him, he agreed with my decision wholeheartedly._
> 
> _The first is quite simple. Do you know how many times I have beaten you in a spar in all the years we’ve known each other?_

Shikaku’s brow furrowed as he ran through every spar with Minato he could remember. After a moment, he huffed. That couldn’t be right...

> _That’s right. The answer is about half. Two of those spars took place after I became Hokage, and you came out the victor in one of them. In a fight to the death, I’ve never been sure which of us would come out on top. In all honesty, we’d probably both lay dead at the end. I know, that’s a pretty morbid thing to say under the circumstances, but there it is._
> 
> _Lord Sarutobi was surprised when I revealed this, but after some thought, he said he could see it. You are a difficult man to beat. It’s funny, but people tend to underestimate your power, which I know of course is a deliberate move on your part. Still, despite you proving over and over again in the war that you’re nearly impossible to take out by normal means, I don’t think anybody has brought you up as a Hokage candidate before I pointed out the obvious. You’re quite good at redirecting people’s attention, aren’t you?_
> 
> _So, on to my second reason. Out of all our peers, you are, without a doubt, the only person I’ve truly felt is my intellectual equal. I know, I know, I’m being boastful, but it’s the truth. You and I were unstoppable when we put our heads together. That’s why I made you my Jounin Commander, after all._
> 
> _There are numerous other, smaller reasons that I was able to use to convince Lord Sarutobi that you were the right choice. Your reputation with other villages, the respect that our forces hold for you, your position as a clan head and your political prowess when you deign to get involved. The fact that you are a good man, with a strong moral compass._
> 
> _There is one reason, however, that I did not tell him and that I will share with you now, my friend._
> 
> _There is a ruthlessness in this village, born from necessity as we fought through two bloody wars. It has rooted itself deep into many of our shinobi and I have suspected for some time that there are those in power who have rotted from the inside. Orochimaru’s defection and the circumstances around it was only a symptom of this._
> 
> _You and I have that ruthlessness as well, but we are pragmatic enough to recognize it, use it where we must, and look beyond it in order to see the bigger picture - the picture of the world we want to build for future generations._
> 
> _You are ruthless, but you are also steady, and kind, and have a soft spot for fluffy, helpless things that sometimes gets you into trouble. And no, even in death I won’t let you forget about the injured squirrel incident._
> 
> _And so I ask you, one of my oldest and most trusted friends, to take up this mantle for me. I know that you will protect Konoha while keeping that bright light - the light of a peaceful future - in sight. I can entrust Konoha, and all of the people that I love within her walls, to your capable hands._
> 
> _You have been my right-hand man for so long. Please, Shikaku, do not stop now._
> 
>  
> 
> _With all my love,_
> 
> _Minato_
> 
> _P.S. Don’t let those advisers push you around. They’re snakes in musty clothing._
> 
> _P.P.S. If you accept the position, I’ve entrusted a box of scrolls to Lord Sarutobi to share with you. I hope you find them useful._

Shikaku set the letter on the desk and buried his face in his hands for a few long minutes. Eventually, he straightened, blinking rapidly. “Dammit, Minato,” he said in a rough voice. He then stood and went to tell Sarutobi Hiruzen that he would accept the appointment as Godaime of Konoha.

When Shimura Danzo’s face twisted in contempt two days later after the Daimyo sent word of his approval, he wondered just what kind of trouble he’d allowed Minato to drag him into this time.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shikaku wades into the disaster that is being the Godaime, and Ensui shows up. Also, Moles.

The first thing that Shikaku did as Hokage was bring Naruto home with him.

He had only needed to recall the words in Minato’s letter to make the decision, despite the political shitstorm he knew it would cause. The true reason that he had chosen Shikaku out of all the other ninja in the village to continue working towards the legacy he dreamed of. _You must set aside your ruthlessness._

The meeting they’d held after Minato’s funeral to discuss what would happen to his only son was like a bucket of cold water doused over Shikaku’s head. He now knew just what he was up against if he was going to make Minato’s dream a reality. And some of the biggest obstacles were right here in his village.

“Shikaku, I understand why you’d want to bring Naruto home with you, but you have to admit that there are dangers to this course of action. He already looks like Minato, and you taking him in would be yet another clue of his parentage,” Sarutobi said. He rubbed at red eyes, exhaustion deepening the lines on his face.

“Then what would you have us do with him?” Shikaku kept his voice level despite his annoyance at the implication that he couldn’t protect one child. “His godfather won’t return - we’ve already asked and he refused.”

“I could take in the jinchuuriki,” Shimura Danzo said from his seat across the table.

Shikaku kept his body relaxed and resisted the urge to show his contempt for that idea. The man didn’t even see Naruto as a person - he only saw the power stored inside. There was no doubt in his mind who the snake in musty clothing was that Minato mentioned. Shimura was the personification of the ruthlessness that Minato had been so concerned about.

“No,” Sarutobi said before Shikaku had to. His face was hard and Shikaku watched as the two men stared each other down across the table. The Sandaime, at least, saw Naruto as more than a weapon.

“What do you suggest, then?” Homura spread her arms, probably more as a way to pull the two men from their heated glares than to make a point. “We can’t place him just anywhere. People are already terrified of the boy.”

Sarutobi looked down at the table and Shikaku could almost feel the weight of his grief pressing down on the room. “We need to get ahead of this. We can’t have the whole world knowing he’s our jinchuuriki.”

“It’s not like we can snatch the knowledge from the brains of the villagers,” Shimura said. “Not even with Shikaku’s pet Yamanaka.”

Inoichi stiffened but didn’t say anything. “Careful,” Shikaku said in a low rumble, “or I might decide you’re not needed at this meeting, after all.”

He raised a brow at the look Shimura sent him; half amused, half doting old grandfather. Beneath it, though, was a sharp assessment. A test, then. Apparently, he wasn’t even waiting until Minato’s body was cold in the ground before he started stirring shit up.

“I wonder what your forces would think of you forcing a respected war general from your group of advisors.”

“I’m sure they’d understand that your old age and failing health left you no other options.”

Shimura just hummed, still looking more amused than upset, and brought his attention back to Sarutobi in an obvious dismissal. “Well, then, what do you suggest?”

Sarutobi sighed but didn’t comment on their exchange. “I suggest we add him to the pool of orphans. Dozens of children were sent to the orphanage in the past week. He might blend with the crowd.”

Shikaku resisted the urge to throw Sarutobi bodily from the room. How he could even suggest sending Minato’s child to live in the orphanage was beyond him. Not to mention, it would be the height of foolishness to have Naruto grow up without an anchor to keep him in check. One attack by an unleashed bijuu in his lifetime was enough for Shikaku.

He was - had been - close enough to Minato and Kushina to remember what kept her sane against the rage and hatred of her passenger. Love for her family and for her village.

Shikaku glanced at Inoichi, who didn’t need further prompting to jump in, buying him some time to think before he responded. He wished Chouza could have been there, too, since his steady presence helped Shikaku stay calm when he was close to losing his temper. Unfortunately, he was busy elsewhere, using his strength to assist with moving rubble.

“Oh? And what would you do about the villagers who would recognize him for what he is? As Shimura mentioned, we can’t take that knowledge away,” Inoichi said.

Sarutobi drummed his fingers on the table. “We pass a law. Nobody is to speak of his status as a jinchuuriki, on pain of death. We let the memory fade so that the boy will grow up normal, without the weight of the knowledge upon him.”

Shikaku had the very disconcerting experience of sharing a commiserating look with Shimura Danzo. Both of them, it seemed, were less than optimistic about the forgiving nature of humanity. Just because they couldn’t talk about why they feared Naruto wouldn’t stop the fear from happening. In fact, it may just backfire, festering like a wound that hadn’t been properly cleaned.

Shikaku glanced at Inoichi, who was frowning slightly. His shoulders moved in an almost imperceptible shrug. Yeah, he didn’t have a magical diplomatic solution, either. Well, this would be fun.

Shikaku wished he had a bottle of sake, or at least a wall close enough to bash his head against. He really did not want his first decision as Hokage to be one that was so unpopular with other powerful figures in the village. It was showing his hand too early and he’d have to make some serious compromises later to keep them from getting too defensive.

But he had no choice. Shimura was scoffing at Sarutobi and saying something about foolish old men and Homura and Koharu were nodding along with him. That was a dynamic that would cause some problems later.

Shikaku straightened and let his apathetic mask fall. He was gratified when all eyes in the room went to him. “Naruto will come and live with Yoshino and I. That is my final decision.” He held up a hand when four people opened their mouths to protest.

“Lord Sarutobi, I understand where you’re coming from, but I can’t in good conscience allow the son of our village’s hero to be orphaned. I will, however,” he said over the top of Homura, who had started to speak, “take your other suggestion into serious consideration. You’re right, in that we can’t have villagers advertising who our jinchuuriki is.”

The rest of the meeting was a disaster. Shimura had, unsurprisingly, fought hard against the decision. He had come very close to outright accusing Shikaku of attempting to raise Naruto to be his own personal weapon.

This was right after he had offered to take Naruto into his own house for a second time. Shikaku assumed that his mind had gone to ‘he’s creating his own personal weapon’ because it’s what he himself would do with Naruto.

Shikaku knew that he’d only temporarily won this battle if the hard light in Shimura’s eyes was any indication. The man wasn’t even particularly subtle about his grasping plays for power, though Shikaku suspected some of the outright disrespect was a distraction. A distraction from what, he wasn’t sure, but he would have to find out - and soon.

The second thing Shikaku did as Hokage was preside over the memorial service for all the shinobi lost to the Kyuubi attack. Yoshino stood next to him, an infant in each arm, face impassive. 

When he’d come home with Naruto she’d only hesitated for a moment before briskly taking him. The next day they had another crib in their nursery and she was nursing him along with Shikamaru. Kushina and Minato had been her friends, too, after all.

The memorial was a somber affair. There weren’t many people in the village who hadn’t lost someone. There were more tear-streaked faces than dry ones at the memorial stone. All of it was made worse, of course, by the rumor that an Uchiha had been involved.

That information was supposed to be classified but had been leaked the day before. Shikaku had a very short list of suspects of who could have let it slip, though he was damned if he knew what he was going to do about it. He’d had the forethought to ask Fugaku to stand with him, however, to show that he still trusted the Uchiha clan, even if it was a rogue who was responsible for his friend’s death.

He’d had Inoichi handling the interrogation of their clan members - quietly - and so far all of the strongest members had been cleared. Another mystery.

Inoichi, Chouza, and Genma stood at his back. He hadn’t been able to find Kakashi in the crowd. He’d need to track the boy down soon. Minato and Kushina had been all he had left. The thought had his stomach twisting in sympathy but he took a deep breath and brought his attention back to the crowd.

His speech was short but heartfelt and he made sure to include plenty of rhetoric about The Will of Fire and a reminder of Minato’s dream: peace throughout the Elemental Nations. The reminder of his overall gentle nature seemed to pull some of the heat from the glares being sent Fugaku’s way. Shikaku wasn’t stupid enough to believe that it wouldn’t be the end of the distrust and anger, though.

It was with that cheerful thought in mind that he called for a meeting of the clan heads two days after the service. It was going to be a pain, but Shikaku knew it was necessary.

The night before the meeting Sarutobi Hiruzen paid him a visit at his home. “Lord Godaime,” he greeted once they were settled in Shikaku’s office.

Shikaku’s lips quirked at the playful tone he used to address him. “Lord Sandaime.” Sarutobi chuckled and Shikaku poured them both a large cup of sake and slid one across the low table between their chairs. “From the look on your face, we’re both going to need this for whatever you’re about to tell me.”

Sarutobi sighed. “It’s about Danzo.”

“Of course it is.” Shikaku took a fortifying drink. He’d promised himself he’d cut back, but tonight he needed it.

“I assume you know his nickname?”

Shikaku studied him, then looked down at his cup and leaned back in his chair, stretching his legs out in front of him. “The Shinobi of Darkness, right?”

“That’s right. Do you know why he is called that in hushed whispers around the Elemental Nations?”

“Enlighten me.” Shikaku had an idea, though he really hoped he was wrong.

“Shortly after becoming Hokage, in an attempt to mend the bitterness of his heart, I allowed him leeway that perhaps I should not have.”

“And what sort of leeway did you allow, Lord Sarutobi?”

Sarutobi took a small drink of his sake and hummed appreciatively, looking every inch the friendly grandfather. Shikaku knew better - anybody with half a brain knew better. “Perhaps, Shikaku, you could call me Hiruzen. I have a feeling we’ll be working closely together in the future.”

Somewhere in the house, a baby started crying. A moment later, the second took up the mantle. Shikaku hadn’t been home enough recently to figure out which cry belonged to which infant. And didn’t that make him feel like an awful father? He wasn’t feeling like that great of a Hokage at the moment, either, if he were being honest with himself. Which he always was, if he could help it.

“Alright, then. Hiruzen.”

Yoshino’s footsteps sounded on the stairs and Hiruzen’s lips twisted into a smile. “I admit, though I don’t know if I agree with your decision to take Naruto in, I am still glad that you made it.”

Shikaku frowned at him. “Hiruzen.”

“Yes, yes, sorry. Danzo thought me weak, you know. Too soft to do what was needed for the village. I was young and there was war and I found myself wondering if he was right. I do not enjoy the darker parts of being Hokage. So I allowed him to take up that mantle.”

“How.” Shikaku’s tone was flat.

To Hiruzen’s credit, he looked him straight in the eye when he answered. “I allowed him to create his own branch of ANBU, which answers to him. He calls it Root.”

Shikaku closed his eyes and breathed through the urge to go out and start showing everybody just why Nara was the clan that pushed out more assassins than all the others combined. Shimura Danzo could be dead by morning. Of course, then he’d have a random faction of shinobi running around without guidance. No, he’d need to play this smart.

When he opened his eyes Hiruzen was watching him steadily and Shikamaru and Naruto had stopped crying. “All right. Tell me everything you know.”

Hiruzen didn’t comment on the clipped tone of his voice, which was less than respectful. He just pulled out a scroll and unsealed a small stack of files. “He’s good at hiding his activity, but this is what I have.”

Shikaku nodded and resigned himself to not getting any sleep as he reached for the first file. Hiruzen leaned back and took out his pipe before reaching for a file of his own. Shikaku eyed him but didn’t comment.

There was no choice but to trust him, for now. He knew Minato had held him in the highest regard. Shikaku just had to hope that he was there because he was willing to throw his hat into Shikaku’s ring, from loyalty to Minato, if nothing else.

Shikaku had only read through two of the files before he shot to his feet and threw his half-full cup across the room, where it shattered against the wall. Hiruzen watched the sake drip down the plaster with a blank expression before turning back to Shikaku, who was looming over him, chest heaving and fists clenched.

He hadn’t been this angry in a long, long time.

“Did you get it out of your system?” he asked mildly, unaffected by the urge to kill both him and Shimura Danzo that Shikaku was sure was written all over his face.

He leaned down so that their faces were only half a foot apart. “Not even close,” he gritted out.

“Good. Now, if we could return to the task at hand?”

Shikaku stared at him for a long moment before releasing a humorless chuckle. He moved back to his chair and collapsed into it. “What did Minato get me into?” he grumbled and picked up the next file.

He was already regretting throwing his sake across the room. Without a word, Hiruzen slid his still-full cup across the table.

000

“Right now, more than anything, we need unity,” Shikaku said, leaning over the table and resting his weight on his fingertips.

His robes were heavy on his shoulders and the hat was an annoying weight on his head. He planned on forgoing the get-up most of the time, but right now he needed to gather every bit of authority he could to him.

He eyed the clan heads spread out around the table. Many of them were new to the mantle, or sporting injuries from the recent attack. It was easy to see where their allegiances lay from where they were sitting.

Chouza and Inoichi were seated next to each other and to the immediate right of where Shikaku was standing at the head of the long table. Their loyalty to Shikaku was a given, which was certainly an edge.

Inuzuka Tsume was lounging next to Chouza, Kuromaru taking the spot next to her where a chair had once been. Hyuuga Hiashi and Aburame Shiba were next. Shikaku was fairly certain he could count on the general support of all three of them, as long as he didn’t do anything outrageous.

Across the table, and three chairs down from Shikaku, the Kurama representative sat. The man was twitchy and nervous and probably wouldn’t pose much of a threat either way. Two seats down from him was the Shimura clan head, a middle-aged woman named Rina.

Despite Shimura Danzo being an outspoken official, the Shimura clan tended to remain fairly neutral in politics as long as they perceived edicts to be fair and logical. They may not support Shikaku directly, but outside of some maneuvering from Danzo, they wouldn’t outright oppose him.

The other clans were scattered about more randomly. Hiruzen had suggested he sit the meeting out, so as not to cast any confusion as to who was in charge. Shikaku thought he probably just needed a break from his steady, angry stare. Not that he’d let his rage show in public, but still. The rest of the night before had been tense, to put it lightly.

Shikaku noted that Uchiha Fugaku was seated away from the others, at the far end, face an expressionless mask. Yet another problem to be fixed. Not even a week as the Godaime and he was already exhausted.

“Unity? Where was this unity you speak of when the Uchiha clan stood by and did nothing during the attack?” Shimura Rina spat and Shikaku glanced at her. Well, there went their lauded neutrality. Still, she wasn’t the first to bring this up within Shikaku’s hearing.

“The Uchiha were ordered to protect civilians and handle evacuation,” Fugaku said in a calm tone.

Shikaku turned to him. He looked just as tired as he felt. “Fugaku. I can barely hear you all the way down there. Come, sit by me so we aren’t yelling down the table for this discussion.”

Tsume cracked a smile while Hiashi scowled at what Shikaku was sure he saw as a blatant show of favoritism. That rivalry was going to be even more annoying now than it was as school children, Shikaku could tell. Fugaku paused, probably in surprise, before standing and making his way over to the chair opposite from Inoichi and to Shikaku’s immediate left.

Shikaku sat down and leaned back in his chair, making a show of relaxing. “Alright. What Fugaku said is true. Shimura Danzo requested that the Uchiha clan stay back and protect the civilians during the attack.”

“Last I checked, Shimura Danzo holds no authority over our forces.” Shikaku’s lips turned up on one side at the familiar, low voice and everyone craned to look at the man who’d just entered the room.

“Little brother. Nice of you to show up,” Shikaku greeted, getting back to his feet.

Ensui raised a brow and let out a low whistle after taking in his robes, similar to Minato’s but with less flames and general flashiness (at Shikaku’s insistence). “Looking good, brother. I would have been here on time, but I only just got back. There were a lot of changes to take in.”

Ensui sobered and everyone in the room looked down, taking a moment to mourn the passing of the Yondaime. Shikaku didn’t miss the way his brother’s sharp gaze took in the position of everyone around the table, stopping to linger on Fugaku. Shikaku flicked his eyes to the empty seat right next to Fugaku after making sure everybody’s attention was still on Ensui.

“So,” Ensui said, shoving his hands in his pockets and relaxing his shoulders. “Yoshino tells me I’m the new clan head. Thanks for asking, Godaime.”

“Yeah, yeah, you can whine about it later. Take a seat so we can continue with our meeting.” A few people around the table laughed softly at their exchange and more tension left the room.

Ensui rolled his eyes but sauntered over to the empty spot between Kurama and Fugaku. He tipped his head at him. “Fugaku.”

“Nara,” he greeted.

“Call me Ensui. We’ll be working together for the good of the village now, after all.”

Shikaku carefully hid his relief and gratitude. Leave it up to Ensui to walk into a room and pick up on all the political shit that Shikaku had been wading through the last week.

“So, what are we talking about?”

“Unity,” Hiashi deadpanned and Tsume snickered.

“And what does that have to do with Shimura Danzo ordering the Uchiha around in a battle situation?” He leaned forward so he could look down the table. “Any insight on that, Rina?”

She pressed her lips together and shook her head. “No. I was unaware of his role in the situation.” Ah, judging from her pinched expression, Danzo had been less than forthcoming when he riled her up.

“What I don’t get is why you listened to him,” Tsume said, flashing a toothy grin. “I never figured you for a pushover, Fugaku.”

Fugaku’s glare was icy, but when Shikaku looked at him he answered. “He led some of our forces in the wars, as you well know, and serves as an adviser to the Hokage. It seemed prudent at the time to follow his orders instead of creating chaos in the ranks. Knowing what I do now, I would have made a different decision.” His tone was stiff, the admission obviously a difficult one, but Tsume seemed satisfied with the answer.

“I’d like to know what you plan to do about this breach of protocol. Shimura overstepped, and I won’t have him thinking he can issue orders to my clan.” Shikaku could have kissed Hiashi after he’d spoken when he saw a few other clan heads nodding their heads. He loved it when people toppled right into his plans and helped push them along.

“Well,” he said after making a show of leaning back in his seat and steepling his fingers together in thought. “I don’t believe he’s broken any Konoha laws. What he did was more a faux pas than anything. Unless he lied about his authority, Fugaku?”

Fugaku narrowed his eyes at him, probably trying to figure out what he was up to, but shook his head. “No. I was fully aware of his position in the village at the time. As I said, it was a misjudgment on my part to heed his orders. One I deeply regret.”

He lifted his chin and looked around the table. “The Uchiha clan has always striven to ensure the safety of the village and the lives within. I’d like to offer up half our forces to assist in the rebuilding efforts for the next three months to show how serious we are about the village’s welfare.”

There was shocked silence around the table at his declaration. All clans depended in part on the income of their shinobi. Uchiha who were officers of the MPF received a stipend for their work, but a good chunk of their shinobi still brought money in via village missions.

Shikaku hummed and Fugaku met his gaze steadily. It wasn’t a horrible move, really. Giving up a large sum of money to assist in the cleanup would go a long way towards rebuilding trust. It wouldn’t completely fix anything, of course, but it would help.

“Alright. The village accepts this gracious offer. Thank you, Uchiha,” he said in a formal tone. Fugaku’s shoulders lowered fractionally and he inclined his head. “Please stay afterward to discuss the particulars.”

“Yes, Lord Hokage,” he murmured.

“Alright. So. Any other interpersonal issues we need to address?” Shikaku ignored the annoyed look flicked his way by Rina.

Hey, if she was going to let herself be manipulated by her crazy clan member, Shikaku wasn’t going to spare her the embarrassing fallout. Even if he was actually thankful to her for bringing it out into the open.

“My question still stands,” Hiashi said.

Shibi, unsurprisingly, nodded. “I would also like to address the issue of Shimura Danzo’s overstepping, because I cannot be worrying about him doing it again to the detriment of my clan.”

“Yes, I’d like to discuss it, too,” Inoichi added and Chouza and Tsume made sounds of agreement.

“I doubt anybody in the Nara clan would give him the time of day if he tried it, but I am worried about such an obvious gap in our legislation regarding the chain of command being usurped.” Ensui had one arm propped on the arm of his chair, the other resting on the table. He looked like he was bored out of his mind. Or possibly planning out assassinations in his head.

Shimura Rina looked like a stiff wind would blow her over and he was fairly certain Fugaku was trying to hold back a smile. Shikaku could relate. Sometimes he was a little surprised by just how easy it was to manipulate people, no matter how many times he did it successfully.

“Alright. So what do you suggest, Hiashi?”

If he was surprised at the open question, he didn’t show it. “Create sanctions for those who attempt to overstep their bounds of power. The Hokage and his specifically assigned leaders, or the clan heads, depending on the individual shinobi or group in question, should be the only people allowed to issue orders. There are certain shinobi and kunoichi who are not in the chain of command who could cause confusion due to their stations in the village. They must not be allowed to take advantage of this.”

“Are you accusing my clan member of something, Hyuuga?” Rina asked.

Hiashi raised one perfect eyebrow and Tsume snorted. “If Hiashi was accusing you of something you’d know, Shimura.”

“Nobody is looking for sanctions, here,” Shikaku cut in before Tsume could create a brand new rivalry for him to deal with. “This is just a discussion about a hole in our legislation that leaves certain individuals potentially vulnerable to misunderstandings.”

He didn’t clarify who, exactly, was left vulnerable, and everybody relaxed minutely. Ensui still looked half asleep where he was sprawled in his chair, green eyeliner making him seem less alert than he actually was, but his lips were curved upward. Shikaku was so glad that he could provide his little brother with amusement.

“Alright. Hiashi, I want you and Fugaku to work on the draft of the law together. Send it to my office for my review as soon as possible, and we’ll all meet back here to go over it in three days. I want this taken care of quickly.”

Hiashi and Fugaku were eyeing each other with distaste. Shikaku couldn’t believe he was resorting to school teacher tactics to encourage them to get along, but it’d be nice to have them united against Danzo. Besides, if his time as Jounin Commander had taught him anything, it was that the stronger a ninja was, the more like a child they tended to act.

“Alright. Well, now that we’ve taken care of that. Like I was saying: unity.” Shikaku sat up, signaling that he was about to say something important. The attention of the room snapped fully back to him.

“Konoha suffered a serious blow. Not just physically, but with the death of a Hokage and many of its citizens. Minato was a great man, and his last request to me was that I work to continue his dream of a better, more peaceful future.”

Shikaku paused to let that sink in before continuing. “This isn’t something I can do alone. The clans are the backbone of the village, as you well know. We’re going to have to put aside grievances - petty or otherwise - and focus on rebuilding. I trust that I can depend on all of you to help me prevent more trouble instead of causing it.”

“Yes, Lord Hokage,” they all said in low voices and Ensui was full-on grinning at this point. Shikaku was sure he was going to get teased later about picking up a bunch of overgrown toddlers that he had to somehow keep in line.

They weren’t exactly full of inner fire after his speech, but Shikaku didn’t think it was the time for that anyway. All of them were exhausted, and despite their differences, he knew that the continued existence of Konoha was a goal for all of them. He didn’t have to give a rousing speech to remind them of that. It was his job to direct their efforts. Hopefully without them realizing just how much directing he was doing.

“Alright. I’ll see you in three days. I expect you to keep this to yourselves.” He let his gaze linger on Rina, who turned red and ducked her head.

This would be a good way to test how much sway Danzo had with certain clan heads. If he started fussing about the proposed law before the three days were up, Shikaku would know somebody’s tongue was wagging.

He turned towards Ensui as everyone else, bar Fugaku, stood to leave. “Ensui. Come over for dinner tonight and we can discuss how to handle the handover of responsibilities for your promotion to clan head.”

“Can’t wait. We’ve got a few other things to talk about, to, I’d wager.” He stood, the smooth motion belying his drooping eyes, and nodded to Hiashi, who had paused by Fugaku’s chair.

“Uchiha. If you’re free this evening, I’d like to invite you to join me at my home to start working on the proposal.”

Fugaku looked like he’d rather go a few rounds with Tsunade than agree, but he nodded jerkily. “Yes, I’ll be there after dinner.”

“I look forward to it,” Hiashi bit out, ever polite and ever a dick, before sweeping out of the room. He closed the door behind him with a light click.

Shikaku stood and walked to the large windows that looked over the village, taking in the destruction with an impassive expression, open haori pushed back so he could shove his hands into the pockets of his black pants.

He wanted to take the hat off, but he was fairly certain he’d have a spectacular case of hat hair. The problem with a hat was that he couldn’t pull his hair up into a high ponytail, leaving it tied at the nape of his neck instead. He was vain enough to not want to wander around with his hair messy and not in its usual clan style.

His casual countenance was carefully cultivated in an attempt to get Fugaku to relax. A losing battle from the start, really. Minato always said that Fugaku was incapable of relaxation.

“You need to be careful. Your clan seems to have caught some unfriendly attention,” he said, not bothering to mince words. He’d checked the room himself for any hidden listeners before the meeting and had made sure all the privacy seals were intact before adding a few additional ones of his own.

His clan weren’t seal masters, but they were good with the sneaky, useful ones and he’d picked up a few tricks from Minato over the years, too. He was certain they were alone, and he had turned so his lips weren’t visible from the window.

Fugaku angled his own posture accordingly. “Oh?”

Shikaku hummed and leaned back against the window. “I’m afraid it’s going to take me some time to deal with him, but please rest assured that I am not unaware of the problem. I’ll do what I can to support your clan without giving myself away.”

Fugaku’s stare was hard while he took that in. After a few seconds, he nodded, slowly. “I see. That is good to hear. I know Yamanaka Inoichi cleared me and other possible Uchiha suspects, but I’d like to personally reassure you that I had nothing to do with the attack.”

Shikaku reached out and gripped his shoulder. “I know. Minato trusted you and considered you a friend. That’s enough for me.”

Fugaku glanced at his hand, then back to Shikaku. “I’m not the only one with unwanted attention on me.”

“Yeah, well, kind of hard to avoid once I agreed to the appointment.”

“Indeed.” They both stared out over the village, lost in their own thoughts.

After a while, Shikaku sighed. “I’m going to give your clan a stipend for your work on the village.”

He held up a hand when Fugaku stiffened and opened his mouth to protest. “I won’t see my shinobi starving. Don’t worry, it will be much, much lower than what they would make on active duty. I intend to offer it to anybody who volunteers to work extra instead of taking missions, so everyone will understand exactly what your shinobi are giving up.”

Fugaku considered that. “Alright. I’m not sure I would have had the confidence to even offer if it were anybody else under that hat.”

Shikaku just grunted since he wasn’t sure what to say to that. Hiruzen hadn’t been cold towards the Uchiha, exactly. He was a fair man, in a lot of ways a little too fair and forgiving when it came to his shinobi. But he’d been trained by Senju Tobirama, and that had left its mark. Not to mention his softness towards his old teammates.

Fugaku left shortly afterward and Shikaku shuffled back to his office to deal with paperwork (with a stop in an empty bathroom to fix his hair and ditch the hat). He then went out and did some work on the rebuilding efforts, knowing it was important to be seen out and about.

By the time he made it home he was exhausted and it was well past dinner time. Yoshino greeted him at the door with a kiss and shoved Shikamaru into his arms. “I left a plate in your office - Ensui’s already in there with Naruto. You two can watch the kids while you discuss whatever important clan business you have. I need to do the grocery shopping.”

Shikaku wanted to protest, but he took in the bags under his wife’s eyes and the slightly manic twist to her lips and kept his mouth shut. She was being run ragged, between taking care of two infants and shouldering all of the clan head responsibilities until Ensui returned.

With all the deaths and loss of property, they weren’t inconsequential. Shikaku kissed the top of her head. “Be careful, okay?”

Yoshino’s expression was shrewd. “Ah. Already making friends, then?”

He chuckled. “Something like that.”

She reached up and rubbed a thumb across his cheek, probably to wipe off some dirt smeared there. “I’ll be careful if you are.”

He flashed her the grin that he knew always made her smile and, sure enough, she returned it. “Deal,” he said.

He made sure Genma appeared to escort her, nodding in thanks. He’d asked him to see to the safety of his family until Shikaku could sort out the mess with ANBU and find them suitable protection. Easier said than done. He’d need to find a longer-term solution for his family’s protection since Gemma was technically his guard.

He made his way into the office and shut the door, activating the privacy seals before turning to study Ensui. He was sitting in the chair Hiruzen had been in the night before, staring down at Naruto, who was asleep in his arms.

“He looks just like him.”

“Yeah.” Shikaku sat across from Ensui, whose jaw was ticking.

“This is so fucked up. I wasn’t even here, Shikaku. I came back from a mission to find my village destroyed and my Hokage dead. And my brother is the Godaime and I’m the goddamn head of the clan. Not to mention the members of our clan that -”

He motioned to the folders in front of him and Shikaku closed his eyes, having already memorized the details. “I know.”

“Our cousin Jiro is on that list. He was fourteen. I taught him how to hold a kunai.” He leaned over and put a hand to his forehead and pulled Naruto more snugly against him with the other arm.

Shikaku leaned forward and put his hand on his shoulder. “Ensui. I know. I’m sorry.”

He snorted and when he looked up his eyes were red but dry. “What happened? I mean, what really happened?”

Shikaku took a slow breath and let it out. Then, he told him. All of it - the letter from Minato, the council’s arguing over what to do with Naruto. The way Danzo had held the Uchiha back from assisting in the takedown of the Kyuubi, though his reasons were still murky. The suspected involvement of an Uchiha in the attack. The shitshow that Shikaku had inherited, basically.

“Well, damn,” Ensui said. “No wonder you look like shit.”

“Thanks.” He sighed, then stood and moved over to his desk, removing a scroll from a drawer. “It gets worse.”

“Of course it does.”

Shikaku sat down and Shikamaru made a small sound of distress at being jostled. He smiled down at him (he was pretty damn adorable if he did say so himself) before turning back to Ensui. “What do you know about Root?”

Ensui leaned back and his eyes widened just enough to tell Shikaku how surprised he was by the turn of conversation. Ensui had been in ANBU off and on for ten years, now. If Root existed, he’d have heard something. It was hard to hide from a Nara.

“Just rumors,” he said slowly. “A hidden faction of ANBU that deals with the really nasty stuff. Why?”

Shikaku unsealed the files Hiruzen had given him yesterday and threw them on the table between them. Ensui reached for the first, wariness obvious. Shikaku watched him while he read. Ensui’s expression was blank by the time he reached the end of the first and, in Shikaku’s opinion, the worst file.

“What is this,” he finally said in a flat tone. “These are...these are children. Children of Konoha.”

“Yes,” Shikaku said.

“This shit is sanctioned?”

Shikaku tipped his head back and forth. “More or less. Hiruzen is fairly certain Danzo uses them for his own personal agenda.”

“And what agenda is that?”

Shikaku was glad they had the children with them, or he was fairly certain Ensui would have trashed his office by now. His hand had a slight tremble and the rest of his body had ceased all movement. His eyes had gone cold and flat and Shikaku recognized the urge to go out and rip a few people apart with his bare hands, mostly because he was feeling it too.

“Hiruzen claims that he strives for the betterment of the village. He wants to take a harder line on both the training of our shinobi and eliminating outside threats.”

“Ah. I’m sure it has nothing to do with how much he wishes he were wearing that fancy hat of yours,” Ensui said, casual tone belying his countenance.

“First of all, the hat was misplaced today. Very sad.” Ensui snorted and some of the tension left his body. “And, yeah, that’s what I thought, too. I plan on officially shutting Root down, but I’m assuming it won’t be that easy.”

“Nah. Men like Shimura Danzo don’t like to give up power once they’ve got it.”

“Hiruzen thinks I should let him keep it until things settle down.”

“Like hell,” Ensui spat and was forced to hush and rock Naruto when he stirred.

“He thinks taking his toys away could result in a tantrum.”

Ensui’s lips quirked. “You always have been good with children and small animals.”

Shikaku snorted. “He’s not wrong, you know.”

“No. I’m guessing you’ve got about thirty plans chasing themselves around in your head.”

Shikaku shrugged. “Some moves, some countermoves. I’d like to start with gathering intelligence. As much as possible.”

Ensui’s expression went from enraged to horrified. “Please tell me you aren’t going to summon those crackpots.”

Shikaku’s lips twitched. “This is what they’re for, you know. Our ace in the sleeve.”

“They’re a damn menace!”

“Bono and Yen are experts in information gathering and subterfuge.”

Ensui groaned. “Fine, I can see your mind's made up. But don’t come cryin’ to me when they invade your bed at three am with ‘super important’ intel that turns out to be a prime location for hunting nightcrawlers.”

Shikaku smiled, then leaned over to gently deposit Shikamaru into the crook of Ensui’s free arm. He paused long enough to adjust Shikamaru’s blankets and take in his round, soft cheeks and the way his eyelashes brushed against them. He needed the reminder of why he was putting himself through this. A better future for his child, for Minato’s child, and for all the other children of Konoha.

“Alright,” he said, then moved to the open area in the room between the desk and chairs. “Just so you know, we’ll need your scouts, so don’t think you’re getting out of summoning your own. We’ll deal with that after mine are gone, since they tend to, ah, not get along with others of their clan.”

He ignored Ensui’s long-suffering expression and went through the necessary hand signs before slapping the floor. A seal spread out from his palm across the rug and a small cloud of smoke appeared with a tiny _pop._

It cleared to reveal two brown, squinting moles who weren’t much bigger than a garden-variety mole. Their small snouts wiggled as they took in the scents around them, squinting eyes straining when they stared up at Shikaku in the dim light of the office. They were charming little creatures in their own bumbling way.

Then they realized where they were and both of them sat back on their haunches and flung their large, paddle-like front feet into the air. “Worms!” they cheered in high-pitched voices, little bodies wriggling. “Worms, worms, worms!”

Their cries woke Naruto and Shikamaru and despite Ensui and Shikaku’s frantic shushing, both started crying, loud and desperate. The moles both froze at the sound and their snouts swung in the direction of the infants.

Then, as one, they squeaked, “Babies! Cute, rolly babies!” They began waddling around in a circle on the floor chanting, “Cute, rolly babies! Cute, rolly babies!”

“What the fuck,” Ensui said, looking just as harried as Shikaku felt as he rocked the fussing infants.

Shikaku dug around in his pockets. He made a sound of triumph when he found the baggie full of dirt and earthworms he’d covertly collected while working outside earlier. He tossed it on the ground in front of the excitable summons.

“There, eat your worms!”

The two little creatures dove on it, thankfully silent now except for the ripping of the bag and muffled cheers as they started pouncing on the worms wriggling in the dirt now spread across his office floor. Well, that should make Yoshino happy.

As if his thoughts had summoned her, he heard her coming down the hall. “Ensui, Shikaku, I’m back!”

Though his seals allowed him to hear what was happening in the rest of the house, it only worked one way. Yoshino wouldn’t have heard the ruckus going on not thirty seconds earlier, or the babies’ cries. Thank god.

Her footsteps came closer and they both sent panicked looks at the moles. Shikaku ran to the files displaying pictures of horrors he did not want his wife seeing. Ensui hissed at the little animals to hide.

The mole summons were, to put it lightly, shy. They were convinced that keeping their existence a secret from everyone but their summoners was what made them so effective at their jobs as spies and saboteurs. They weren’t _wrong,_ but they tended to take it a little far, to the point where telling anybody except fellow contract holders about them without explicit permission was a breach of contract.

They also panicked at the thought of being spotted by other humans. Which, to be fair, made them great spies, since they went through a lot of trouble to never be seen. If they were, they’d perfected the art of looking like regular old moles.

Both the little animals squinted at the door at Ensui’s warning. Bono had a worm hanging from his maw and Yen was holding a wriggling form in each paw.

“Interloper!” Yen squeaked.

“Hide!” Bono said, slightly muffled through the now barely-moving worm still in his mouth.

The door swung open and Shikaku spun towards it, holding the offending folders behind his back. Ensui was still trying to calm the two screaming infants.

A glance at the floor showed no sign of the moles or their meal, but there were still clumps of dirt spread across the floor. Yoshino took in the scene with two raised eyebrows.

“I...don’t even want to know,” she finally said and both he and Ensui slumped in relief.

“Come on, Ensui. I have some bottles warming for those two. You can help me change them and put on their pajamas.”

Ensui slumped but meekly followed her out, wincing as their cries reached a truly painful level. Shikaku shut the door after them and waited until he heard their footsteps on the stairs to move.

He rubbed the back of his neck, exhaustion pulling at him, and then looked around the room. He rolled his eyes at the dirt leading from the original pile towards his desk. For summons that were known for their spying and stealth, they hadn’t hidden their trails well when fleeing Yoshino. They always got a little crazy when worms were involved.

He knelt down so that he could look under the piece of furniture. They were huddled in the corner, giggling and whispering over their much-diminished pile of loot. “Bono, Yen. Come on out, I need to give you your mission.”

“But - but worms!” Yen said.

“Worms!” Bono agreed.

Shikaku sighed and rubbed his hand over his dry and burning eyes. He needed to finish this up and get some sleep.

It looked like he was giving the instructions on his hands and knees. This is why his family hardly ever called on the summons they’d been contracted with for the past ninety years. They were annoying, paranoid, distractible when not mid-mission, and had an unholy obsession for worms.

He reached into his jacket and pulled out a hat he’d stolen from Danzo’s rarely-used office in the tower. “I need you two to run a long-term surveillance mission.”

Bono turned towards the hat and sniffed it. “Smells weird.”

Shikaku frowned. Maybe it had been in the office longer than he’d thought. “You need something else to track him with?”

Bono squeaked indignantly and drew himself up. “We are the best at finding and spying!”

“Yes, yes!” Yen nodded, then shoved a worm in his mouth. Shikaku grimaced at the unpleasant sight as the little mole chewed it up.

“Alright, alright, I wasn’t questioning your abilities.”

Bono leaned back on his heels, apparently satisfied with his pseudo-apology. “Long term, huh?” His beady eyes glinted with avarice.

“Yes. A bag of worms every other day.”

“Each.” Yen lifted his snout from where he’d been snuffling at his next victim.

Shikaku sighed. “Yes, fine. Each. I’ll summon one of you when no one else is around, you give me your report, and then I’ll give you your worms.”

They both cheered and he rolled his eyes when they pounced onto their few remaining morsels before standing.

Shikaku’s father used to say, “You know things have gone to shit if you’re forced to use the moles.” As Bono and Yen started singing about worms ( _Oh, oh worm, how you wiggle and squirm...in my belly!),_ he couldn’t help but agree.

Things were looking grim, indeed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's right, for those of you who have read some of my other works: the Death Shroud is back! Woot!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shikaku starts gathering allies, and Ensui takes up the role of long-suffering little brother.

Shikaku was surprised when he slept through the full night without nightmares or stress waking him. Though perhaps he should have expected it. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d slept for more than a few hours at a time.

The bed next to him was still warm and he could hear Yoshino talking in low tones to the children down the hall. Shikaku lay there for a few minutes, staring up at the ceiling and running through what he wanted to accomplish that day.

He’d need to focus on administrative duties and put the political mess he was entrenched in on the back burner. There would be no village to fight over if the system broke down, after all.

Ignoring the way his joints popped when he sat up, he sighed and rolled his neck. Maybe he could convince Yoshino to rub out some of the knots before he left. He shuffled into the shower, grimacing at the feel of his greasy hair when he ran his fingers through it. He’d need to be careful - he couldn’t run around looking half-dead and out of sorts.

It was with that in mind that Shikaku spent an extra bit of time on his appearance that morning. He shaved carefully around his goatee before trimming it and rubbing a bit of oil in to smooth it down. His hair was treated similarly and he even polished his earrings.

He pulled on his mesh under armor and flak jacket before eyeing his robes. After a moment of hesitation, he grabbed his deerskin vest instead and breathed out a sigh of relief at its familiar weight. Unlike the robes, it wasn’t oppressive.

Maybe he’d get a vest that had ‘Fifth Hokage’ stamped on the back. He snorted at the image but didn’t discount it outright. Standing out as his own man wouldn’t be a bad thing, and he knew that many of their enemies had kept a weather eye out for his distinctive deerskin vest in battle. A reminder of his victories wouldn’t be amiss right now.

He wandered downstairs, where Yoshino was bustling around the kitchen. The boys were lying on a matt in the corner, staring up at a modal that she’d set up above them. Shikaku picked Shikamaru up after tickling Naruto’s belly and held him close to his chest.

Yoshino smiled at him over her shoulder when he joined her at the stove and kissed her cheek. “You look handsome. The vest suits you better than the robes.”

“I think so, too.”

“Give me five minutes and I’ll have breakfast for you. I know you’ve got to go, so you can eat as you walk. I’ll make a sandwich for you, too, Ensui.” His brother was standing at the kitchen door. He hadn’t bothered knocking, but they’d both heard him come in.

“Yoshino, we’d be lost without you.” Ensui crowded up against Shikaku so that he could greet Shikamaru, who seemed bored with the whole thing but deigned to let them fuss over him.

She rolled her eyes and gently pushed Shikaku back with one hand. “I know. Why don’t the two of you take the boys out for some fresh air and feed the deer while I finish up?”

Shikaku slumped but didn’t argue. Even when he became the leader of their village he couldn’t get out of chores. She shot him a hard look and he sighed and handed Shikamaru to Ensui, then went over and picked up Naruto.

His blue eyes made his chest tighten - they looked so much like Minato’s - but he just smiled down at him and ran a thumb across the scars on one cheek. Ensui looked just as unenthused as he was feeling when they made their way out into the yard.

“What are you doing here, anyway?” Shikaku asked. Ensui accepted Naruto when he held him out and Shikaku resisted the urge to laugh at the image of his deadly little brother holding an infant in the crook of each arm.

“Stopped to talk to Genma last night. He told me that you’ve been short a guard since you sent him to watch over Yoshino.”

“Yeah. I need to figure that out. The whole village is short-staffed right now, though.”

Ensui nodded. “Well, I asked Roku to take over guard duty for Yoshino today and then told Genma to get some sleep. Let him assume you gave the order.”

Shikaku sighed. “Really? After yesterday’s meeting?”

“Hey, it’s not illegal yet,” Ensui said with absolutely no sign of remorse. “Plus, the man looked as dead on his feet as you did last night. Figured you could do the same with Raido and I’d fill in for the day.”

Shikaku put a hand on Ensui’s shoulder and squeezed. That was a weight off of him. He knew his guards were being overworked, but he hadn’t had a chance to figure out a good solution to the issue. Not when he wasn’t sure who he could trust.

“Thanks, Ensui.”

“Yeah, no problem. I can do it for a few days if you don’t mind setting me up with a desk in your office so I can do my own paperwork. I already talked to Roku and he’s willing to take the job full time if it suits you, Lord Hokage.”

He said the title formally and without a hint of humor, meeting Shikaku’s gaze squarely. He was offering as the head of the Nara clan, not as his brother.

Shikaku let out a breath. “That would be appreciated, Nara. I’ll have my assistant draw up the paperwork.”

Ensui relaxed and his lips tugged up into a smile. “It’s damn strange calling you Lord Hokage. I’m glad you ditched the robes and hat, anyway.”

Shikaku turned to the small structure holding hay by the fence and whistled. It was a beautiful day, though the air was cool and the leaves had almost all turned from green to oranges and reds. “Yeah, they’re annoying. I suppose I’ll have to wear the robes at the very least during official functions, but the hat is too much.” Plus, it messed up his hair.

Deer began emerging from the forest in ones and twos, trotting towards the fence. Ensui just snickered and bounced the two infants in his arms when Naruto started to make small sounds of protest.

Shikaku tossed some hay over the fence, then reached out to pat the flank of a doe that was standing close. He lifted a hand and snapped his fingers and Raido appeared next to him in a crouch.

“Lord Hokage?” Despite the bags under his eyes, he didn’t show the fatigue he had to be feeling in his posture.

“Raido. Ensui is going to take over as my guard for today and tomorrow. I want you to take both days off.”

Raido stiffened and Shikaku held up a hand before he could protest. He understood why both Raido and Genma were feeling twitchy about his protection detail. A week ago they’d watched Minato die on their watch, after all.

“I need you rested up, Raido. Ensui won’t let anything happen to me and my clan member Roku is watching over Yoshino.”

“The whole clan’s on alert, too,” Ensui offered and Raido’s gaze flicked over to him. “She’ll have at least two pairs of eyes on her all day. Not to mention that my sister-in-law is a force all on her own.”

Raido sighed. “I don’t like it, but I understand, Lord Hokage.” He turned a steady look on Ensui, who, to be fair, looked less than intimidating with two infants in his arms. “Keep sharp, Nara.”

Ensui didn’t take offense. He just nodded once, tersely, and Raido blurred out of sight.

“Thank you, Ensui,” Shikaku said and took Naruto back from him.

“You’re my brother. Yoshino is my best friend, not to mention Shikamaru being my nephew. It’s no skin off my back to do my part in keeping you all alive. The clan agrees. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Yamanaka and Akimichi send a few shinobi over later. You do realize they’ve been watching your house at night.”

Shikaku rolled his eyes. “Yeah. Inoichi was in the first council meeting.”

There was no way he hadn’t picked up on how much Danzo wanted Naruto in his grasp and Shikaku out of the way. They returned to the kitchen just as the babies fell asleep. After running upstairs to put them into their cribs they went back down to accept the wrapped egg sandwiches Yoshino had made.

“You two stay safe,” she said and gave them both a kiss on the cheek before narrowing her eyes. “If I find out you’ve been reckless...”

They both held their hands up in surrender. “Alright, go on, then. I’ve got things to do. Oh! Shikaku, I almost forgot, this came for you while you were outside.”

She handed him a folded slip of paper. He grunted out a thanks and they headed for the door. He paused long enough to identify where Roku was and chuckled when he realized he wasn’t alone. A young Akimichi was munching on a rice ball next to him on the roof.

Shikaku forced his anxiety over his family’s safety to the back of his mind and focused on the missive in his hand.

 

> _Your person of interest is awake and will be checking out within the hour. Room 302._

“Good news?” Ensui asked in response to whatever his face did at reading it.

“Hopefully, I’ll be able to check off one of my more important to-dos. We need to make a stop at the hospital.” He shoved the paper into a pocket.

Ensui rolled his eyes at his mysteriousness but didn’t press. Hey, if Shikaku couldn’t tease his little brother, then what was he really doing with his life?

“Alright, other than our mysterious errand, what else is on the agenda for the day?”

“Meetings,” Shikaku said. “Lots and lots of meetings. Then maybe some paperwork, and more meetings.”

Ensui made a face and Shikaku couldn’t help but agree with the sentiment. He’d have some things to say to Minato when they met in the afterlife.

They made it to the hospital eventually, though it was slow going. Shikaku made a point of stopping to say hello to anybody he saw working on cleanup and rebuilding efforts. They’d also come across a woman struggling to carry her daughter for a follow-up appointment at the hospital.

Her daughter’s leg had been amputated from the calf down after being crushed under falling stone on their way to the caves. Shikaku gave the girl a ride on his back the rest of the way while Ensui had a low conversation with the mother about housing. By the time they arrived both mother and daughter had an invitation to stay in an empty apartment in the Nara compound until their house was rebuilt.

His brother was a soft touch when it came to children, so Shikaku wasn’t surprised. The whole thing was a depressing reminder that many citizens were staying in tents or the caves until their houses were built. Shikaku made a mental note to make an appearance at the temporary shelters.

When they got to room 302 Shikaku signaled for Ensui to stand outside before knocking lightly on the door. His brother’s face relaxed into an expressionless mask as he fell into the role of Hokage’s guard. He moved to stand to the right of the door, eyes sharp and assessing as they wandered the hallway.

“I’m decent,” someone called.

Shikaku turned the handle and stepped inside, shutting the door lightly behind him. A small woman in a standard jounin uniform sat on the bed. Her hair was cut short and spiked slightly at the top. Shikaku knew she’d done it as a way to make herself look tougher, but he secretly thought it just made her look younger than her twenty-nine years.

Her Inuzuka clan markings were stark against her pale skin and her arm was in a sling. She looked worn out in a way that was all-too-familiar these days. Her ninken, who was just as dainty and lanky as her owner, sat at her feet. One of her ears had been torn so that the tip of it was gone. Last time Shikaku saw her it had been whole.

“Saori,” he greeted, then turned to her ninken. “Hello, Mao.”

Mao huffed and walked over to nudge his hand with a cold nose. Saori smiled at him, though it was a ghost of her usual bright grin. “Lord Hokage. Didn’t expect to see you here. Shouldn’t you be off doing important leader-of-the-village things?”

He pulled a chair up next to the bed and sat down. “Who says this isn’t an important leader-of-the-village thing?”

Saori shrugged. Her face had new lines that he was fairly certain hadn’t been there a few weeks ago and her shoulders were slumped in a way that he’d only seen from her a few times during the war. Her tonfa were sitting on the bed next to her, blades gleaming, though one was cracked. He would have to get her a new set for her promotion gift.

“I’m sorry about your team,” he said in a gentle tone. They’d died in the Kyuubi attack. He leaned forward to put a hand on her uninjured arm. Mao leaned against her when she blinked rapidly and cleared her throat. Shikaku let her have a few moments to pull herself together. She took a shaky breath before looking up at him, eyes dry but red-rimmed.

“What can I do for you, Godaime?”

“I think you’ve earned the right to call me Shikaku.”

“It does feel weird calling you anything but Captain, even after you became Commander last year,” she admitted and he laughed without humor.

“Believe me, I’m still getting used to it, too.” He pulled his hand away and leaned back in his chair.

“So what can I do for you, my fearless leader?”

Shikaku smiled at the brief glimpse of her usual cheerful personality. “I’m afraid you’re going to like me a lot less in a minute.”

Saori exchanged a look with Mao before they both turned their attention back to him. “Spit it out, Shikaku. We’ve still got to check in with our new clan head this morning.”

Saori always did like to cut through the bullshit. It was one of the reasons he’d chosen her. “I need you to take over as Jounin Commander.”

Her mouth dropped open and she stared at him. He returned her look with a steady one of his own. “I - what - _what?_ Are you serious?”

“Obviously.”

Saori sputtered. “That’s crazy! I thought for sure it’d be Ensui.”

She said the last almost to herself and he wasn’t surprised that she’d already been thinking through the implications of the shift in power. “Oh yeah? What other assumptions have you made about my decisions?” he asked with honest curiosity.

“Sarutobi-sama, Inoichi, and Chouza will probably be the new council of advisors, though you’ll give it a bit before making the change. Ensui will be the new Nara clan head. You’ll keep the rest as-is for now to avoid too much unrest and so you can feel things out.”

Shikaku chuckled. “You know me well. I need Ensui elsewhere, though.”

Her eyes narrowed. “ANBU, I suppose?”

“Among other things. Plus, half the force is terrified of him and not in the right way.”

Saori grinned, making her look more like herself, though it wasn’t as wide as usual. “Well, that’s the truth. But, come on, Shikaku. Me? I’m practically a nobody.”

“Not true. You’re well-known and respected in our forces. You were my right-hand person in our unit in the war. You’re clever and you and Mao can hold your own against just about any of our jounin. I know you can handle them without alienating them and you’ve got a good mind for strategy.”

Saori shook her head. “Yeah, within the village people know of me, but what about internationally?”

“Iwa nin call Mao your demon dog.” He chuckled when the ninken preened. “Enemy were just as likely to run the other way when they saw you at the head of a force with that damn grin on your face as they were when they saw me.”

She was shaking her head but he saw that she was wavering. “Saori. Please. I need somebody I can trust in the position. Someone that can handle it. That’s you.”

Saori hung her head and sighed. “Not nice, using our friendship against me.”

“Well, I am known as a ruthless son of a bitch.”

She laughed, a true Inuzuka laugh that echoed off the walls. “My favorite thing about you. Fine. You’ve convinced me. Jounin Commander Inuzuka Saori, checking in for duty.” She sent him a jaunty salute and he huffed and stood.

“I’ll call a meeting of the Jounin Forces tomorrow at eight am to announce it. You’ll be there?”

Saori wrinkled her nose. “I will.”

He studied her. There was still a slump to her shoulders, the weight of the loss of her team still weighing heavily on her, but she had more color in her cheeks, now. “I’m glad. Thank you, Saori.”

She looked out the window and cleared her throat. “I wonder what they would have said about this.”

Shikaku didn’t need to ask who she was talking about. “They’d have been proud and wouldn’t have doubted for a second that you could do it. Come on, I’ll walk you out.”

Mao pressed her nose against his hand and he glanced down at her. The gratitude in her gaze was impossible to miss and he patted her head. Saori was strong. She’d bounce back from this.

Ensui was leaning against the wall glaring down a pair of ANBU who were standing at the end of the hall. “They want a word,” he said in a clipped tone, then nodded at Saori. “Hey, Inuzuka. Mao. Good to see you.”

“Aw, Ensui, playing guard duty for the big bad Hokage? Heard you have the _honor_ of being the next Nara clan head.”

His lips twisted and she threw her head back and laughed before clapping him on the shoulder. Shikaku left Saori to tease his brother and sauntered down the hall towards the two ANBU.

“Lord Hokage,” one said. He was wearing a mask that was blank outside of two blue lines going down the front. He didn’t recognize it from the files he’d memorized detailing who each of the ANBU he’d inherited were.

He realized with a jolt that these must be members of Root. He carefully kept the anger and unease from his features and shoved his hands in his pockets. “Yeah?”

“Lord Shimura wishes to speak with you.”

Shikaku wasn’t sure whether he should be infuriated or amused by this obvious show of disrespect. He settled on a mixture of both. “Oh? Well, I’m afraid I have a full couple of days. He can make an appointment through my assistant.”

The two masked shinobi exchanged a look. “Lord Hokage, he was hoping to speak with you today.”

Shikaku straightened and took a step forward. “ANBU. Who is your Hokage?” His voice was low and the section of the hallway they were standing in darkened around them.

The ANBU stiffened and went silent and a moment later Saori, Mao, and Ensui were flanking him. “Well?” he pressed.

“You are, Lord Godaime.”

“That’s right. Tell Danzo that my assistant will get back to him with a time that works for me.”

They were both so stiff now that Shikaku wondered if they’d shatter if he flicked them. They bowed and said, “Yes, sir,” before disappearing.

“What the hell was that about?” Saori asked.

“Did you and Mao catch their scents?” he asked instead of answering her question. He’d fill her in on the Danzo situation when they weren’t out in the open.

“Yeah. They had inhibitors on, but I don’t think they expected an Inuzuka to be with you.” She tapped the side of her nose. She didn’t push for more information, which only further proved he’d made the right decision when he chose her as his successor.

“Alright. If you notice their scent anywhere else, let me know.”

She studied him, brow furrowing when she realized that he didn’t know who two of his ANBU were. “Sure. One was a kunoichi, by the way.” He just nodded and glanced at Ensui. His face was blank and shadowed too deeply for the lighting in the hallway. He was currently the Death Shroud, the man who had never botched an assassination in his ten years of service.

Danzo had just challenged Shikaku, and none-too-subtly. He must have guessed Hiruzen would tell Shikaku about Root and he wanted him to know that he had absolute control over them. Not to mention the disrespect of sending two ninja who were technically his subordinates to fetch him.

Shikaku very carefully tucked his anger away. Anger made people act stupid and he couldn’t afford that. They walked with Saori until they reached the front doors. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Lord Hokage.”

Shikaku nodded and she and Mao blurred out of sight. He breathed out and let the tension that had built in his shoulders release. Danzo may be making power plays, but Shikaku had just gotten one more person into his corner. Saori was strong and loyal and one of the best strategists he’d ever worked with.

When they arrived at the tower forty-five minutes later (they’d been waylaid more than once) Shikaku motioned for his assistant to follow him inside. He was an older man named Yamanaka Aska. Inoichi had handed him over from his own personal staff wordlessly the day Shikaku took the hat.

Aska closed the door behind them and activated the privacy seal without asking before turning towards them with an expectant expression. “Aska, I need a temporary desk and chair brought in for my brother. Also, I need you to get the ANBU Commander in here as soon as possible. Can you see if you can get Hyuuga Hiashi scheduled for a lunch meeting, too?”

Aska nodded, his ability for perfect recall making a notebook unnecessary. It would be difficult to torture or force Shikaku’s secrets from him in other ways, as well, since he was a trained Yamanaka. He was a godsend and Shikaku made a mental note to send Inoichi a fruit basket.

Imagining his face when the gift was delivered to his desk in T&I had Shikaku forcing down a grin. Inoichi had been fending off rumors of his (nonexistent) unrequited love for Shikaku since they were chunin. So, of course, Shikaku did everything he could to whip the rumor-mongers back up into a frenzy every few years.

“I also need the updated plans for the rebuild efforts from the contractors. Set up an evening meeting with the city planners and any decision makers involved in the process. Include Hiruzen, Inoichi, and Chouza. Send a message to my wife to let her know I won’t be home tonight.” He had too much to do and doubted he’d catch up even if he stayed awake all night.

Aska nodded. “I also received meeting requests from the members of the Adviser Council this morning.”

Shikaku pressed his lips together. “Set something up for after the meeting I’m having with the clan heads on Thursday. If they try to bully you, you have my permission to have them banned from the administration building for a few days. Oh, and send out a message to any jounin currently in-village that aren’t too injured. Tomorrow morning at eight we’re going to meet at...”

He trailed off and tried to think of a space that was large enough to fit them all and hadn’t been destroyed. The building that they used to use for such things had been knocked over by a stray bijuu tail.

Aska, as always, had a solution. “May I suggest the Yamanaka meeting hall? It survived the attack.”

“Sure, if Inoichi is okay with it. Thanks.”

“I put a stack of mission requests on your desk, as well. It seems like people are becoming confident in our ability to complete missions after you prioritized the few that came in last week.”

Shikaku hid his immense relief at that bit of news. Konoha needed the income right now. Their coffers had already been severely depleted by war and the price of reconstruction was going to put an even bigger dent into it.

“Alright. I’ll look through them. Thanks, Aska.”

The man bowed. “Of course, Lord Hokage. Ensui, I’ll have a desk brought in immediately.”

Shikaku sat down at his desk as soon as he left and reached for a file. Ensui came to stand behind him and snorted at the information listed inside it. “That should be a B-rank.” The client had marked it as a C-rank.

Shikaku shrugged. “It’s to be expected. They’re taking a chance hiring us. They know they can get away with it. We’ll let it slide for a few months until we’re back on our feet.”

He pulled out the newly-updated roster of ninja who were alive and uninjured that Aska had put together without being asked. Yep, Inoichi was getting some very nice chocolates to go along with his fruit basket.

“I don’t even want to know whose day you’re contemplating ruining.” Ensui reached for one of the folders and opened it.

“Inoichi loves it when I ruin his day.”

Shikaku leaned back so that Ensui could look through the roster to find somebody to assign to whatever mission he had in his hands. Tomorrow both Saori and the Chunin Commander, who had been recovering from a nasty concussion and broken collarbone, would be able to take over the task. Shikaku didn’t want to put it off, though. They couldn’t chance the clients going elsewhere.

“Yeah, his high-pitched complaints whenever you do something to mess with him proves it. Remind me to be far away when he comes stomping in here.”

Shikaku snorted but didn’t respond. He knew that Ensui enjoyed messing with Inoichi as much as he did.

They worked silently for a few more minutes until a couple of genin knocked on the door. They stuttered through a greeting, nervous under the eyes of the Hokage and the head of a clan, then set up the folding table and chair. Shikaku assumed it was the best that they could do as far as finding furniture went.

Shikaku asked for their names and tossed them both a candy bar from his stash in his desk. They brightened - everybody was on rations right now, so candy was a real treat - before bowing and rushing out of the room. He heard one of them say that they should share with their third teammate and jounin sensei and it brought a smile to his lips.

“So,” Ensui said after he’d unsealed his own pile of clan-related work and the privacy seals were back in place. “Danzo sure isn’t being subtle.”

Shikaku shrugged. “He’s scrambling. I think he was used to Hiruzen letting him get away with things. Plus, he’s not afraid of me, not like he was Minato.”

Ensui snorted. “His mistake.”

Shikaku just hummed. Hopefully, Danzo would continue to underestimate him.

A few minutes later there was a knock on the door and Monkey, the ANBU Commander, slipped into the room. He moved to the front of the desk and bowed.

Shikaku had already met with him once, at the beginning of the week, but it had been for a quick overview of ANBU casualties and the exchange of important information. They hadn’t had a real chance to talk, yet. He was a tall man with a hood over his ANBU mask, effectively covering all identifying features.

“Monkey, hello.”

“Lord Hokage. Nara.”

“Commander.” Ensui nodded but didn’t move from his spot.

“Monkey, please, take a seat.”

Nobody suggested that he remove his mask. There were rumors that he slept in it. “What can I do for you, sir?”

Shikaku held up his finger, then pressed his hand to a seal on his desk and pushed chakra into it. He knew that its twin, which lived on Aska’s desk, would be glowing red.

A moment later he slipped into the room. “Yes?”

“I’ve got the mission assignments, Aska. Can you handle the hand-off?”

“Of course.” He picked up the files without more than a glance at Monkey before leaving and closing the door behind him.

“If I weren’t married, I’d propose to him,” Shikaku said, surprising a laugh out of Monkey.

“Don’t let Yoshino hear you say that. Imagine the reaction of the village if people found out you were forced to sleep on your little brother’s couch,” Ensui said.

It would be funnier if it hadn’t actually happened before. “Yeah, yeah.”

He sobered and looked back at Monkey, who straightened under his regard. “You and I need to have a conversation about Root.”

Monkey froze, then let out a breath. “Sandaime debriefed you?”

Shikaku pulled out the pile of folders he’d brought along just for this meeting and held them up. “I’m guessing you’re responsible for gathering this information?”

“I am.”

“For the Commander of ANBU, you don’t seem to know a lot about a whole faction of the organization.”

“I was ordered to give Shimura full control over them.”

Shikaku drummed his fingers on his desk. Ensui didn’t speak, but his full attention was on them. “You were well known as the right hand of the Sandaime. I wonder, was your loyalty to your Hokage or to your father?”

Silence met the question and Ensui’s eyes widened. Monkey had gone very still at the outing of his identity. After a tense few seconds, he reached up and removed his mask. He looked a lot like his younger brother, though his face was thinner and twisted by intense scarring on one cheek.

His brown eyes met Shikaku’s. Ensui was studying him with a shrewd gaze, probably adding this new bit of information to his plans and schemes. There had been rumors, of course, that Hiruzen’s eldest had disappeared into ANBU, but it was never confirmed.

“I served my father out of love. But I served my Hokage - both of them - out of loyalty. I plan on doing the same for you, Lord Godaime, if you will allow it.” He dropped to his knees and bowed his head.

Shikaku sighed. “Alright, alright, you’re making me feel like a bully. That’s enough.”

Monkey waited for the count of three before straightening and then retaking his seat. He also put his mask back on, looking immediately more at ease for it.

Shikaku tapped the files in front of him with his finger. “I want to trust you, but the truth of the matter is that there are those in ANBU whose loyalty is suspect, and I don’t know you.”

“I understand. If you choose to replace me as Commander, there will not be any hard feelings. Though I have a request.”

“What’s that?”

Monkey leaned forward and even through the mask Shikaku could feel the intensity of his gaze. “Please allow me to help you clean up this mess. You’re right, it was made under my command. I do not want to leave the fixing of it to others.”

Shikaku tipped his head to the side. He had to make a choice here. The ruthless, and probably sensible, thing would be to dismiss him from his position and put somebody he trusted into his place. “Sarutobi Hiruzen is a good man. I’d like to believe he raised his son to be the same. Your second was killed in the Kyuubi attack, correct?”

Monkey nodded once, slowly. “Alright. Here’s what I propose. Make Ensui your second-in-command. He’s already a captain and he’s been ANBU for longer than most. I’m putting him in charge of the Root investigation, however, so in that, you will be reporting to him.”

“You’re not dismissing me from my post?”

Shikaku sighed and leaned back. “I’m not going to punish you for following the orders of your Hokage. Though I can’t imagine that Minato knew what was going on.”

Monkey shifted uncomfortably. “The Sandaime was waiting for the right time.”

Shikaku leaned forward and pointed at him. “There. Right there. You report to me, now. Not your father, not Danzo. If I get even a whiff of your disloyalty, I will do more than dismiss you, do you understand? If you think you can’t handle that, then you’re free to give Ensui the post and leave with your life. I’ll give you a position in the general forces, no questions asked. But if you take this second chance and double cross me, I will execute you for treason. It’s that simple.” Even if he’d have to get through a former Hokage to do it.

He let his killing intent leak out so that Monkey would know he was serious. He was gratified when he saw his throat move beneath the fabric of his high collar as he swallowed. “Understood, Lord Hokage. I’d like the chance to prove myself.”

“Alright, then.” He leaned back and released the heavy blanket of chakra. “I expect you to include Ensui in your day-to-day activities. I want you to try and discover hideouts, supply lines, identities, and numbers of Danzo’s little force.”

Monkey nodded. “Understood. I assume the Sandaime informed you of our suspicions that he’s been building up a larger force than what he admitted to?”

“Yes.”

“You should know - I believe he’s been using his forces to run missions that worked directly against the will of the Hokage.”

Shikaku narrowed his eyes. “Explain.”

“Shimura would sometimes express his concern for persons of interest outside of the village. Those who were vocal in dislike for Konoha but hadn’t actually acted against it. The Sandaime would usually dismiss his fears.”

“Let me guess. These people ended up mysteriously dead or out of power later.”

“Yes. I did bring my concerns to my father, but he...didn’t want to hear it, I think. He always wanted to believe that his old teammate wasn’t as full of hate as others thought.”

Well, fuck. If Danzo was running around assassinating or dethroning important political figures without warning the Hokage of the potential fallout...that was bad. Shikaku didn’t miss that Monkey had referred to Hiruzen as his father for the first time in the conversation. Which meant this observation was made as his son, not as his ANBU commander. It would be a difficult thing to admit, assuming Shikaku wasn’t being played.

“Alright. I want a list of everything that’s made you suspect that he’s been running his own side-missions against direct orders in the past five years.”

Shikaku took out a bottle of sake after Monkey left. So much for cutting back. He ignored Ensui’s glare until he’d drained a full cup.

“Gee, thanks for asking before volunteering me for the position of second-in-command of ANBU. Not to mention tossing me at the Root problem. You realize I’ve turned down promotions three times, right?”

“You were an inch away from being Commander, so really, you should be thanking me.”

Shikaku reached for the information Aska had dropped off detailing plans for the rebuilding the village. He patiently waited Ensui out. Eventually, his brother asked the question Shikaku knew was rattling around in his mind.

“Why did you let him keep the position? If he’s working with Danzo he’ll run straight to him.”

Shikaku shrugged. “I need to build allies right now, not alienate people. Plus, I trust that you’ll catch on fairly quickly if he’s anything less than a hundred percent loyal to me. And it’s not like Danzo isn’t aware that we’re about to clean house. Or, he will be soon.”

Ensui sighed. “This is a mess.”

“Yes. Speaking of, how much did your scouts demand to keep an eye out for trouble?”

“Three bags every three days. I don’t know how in the hell we’ll have time to dig for worms on top of everything else.”

Shikaku did some quick calculations in his mind, then grinned. “You know, there are a few perks to this Hokage business.”

He sealed up the Root files, then flared his chakra three times. Two ANBU appeared in front of his desk, one in a mouse mask that was a female chunin from a civilian family, and the other in a swan mask that he knew hid Hyuuga eyes. Oh yeah, this would be fun.

“Lord Hokage,” they murmured.

“Swan, Mouse. I have a mission for you.”

They both nodded and Ensui snickered. “Once a week, I’ll need you to deliver a gallon of live earthworms to me.”

To their credit, they only paused for a few seconds before nodding their assent. “They’ll need to be found in the wild, too - I’ll know if you bought them.” He paused before adding, “They taste different.”

The two exchanged a look. “Yes, sir.”

“Deliver the first batch tomorrow evening. Also, one of you needs to find Hatake Kakashi and tell him I want to speak with him directly after the meeting I called with our jounin forces tomorrow. That’s everything.”

They nodded and then disappeared. Shikaku and Ensui looked at each other, then Ensui threw his head back and laughed. Shikaku remembered the way the ANBU had both frozen at his comment about the taste of bought earthworms and joined in.

When Aska entered the room five minutes later they were both slumped over their desks, gasping for air.

“I wish I coulda seen their expressions,” Ensui leaned back and wiped at his eyes.

“Yeah, especially Swan.”

Aska gave them a judging look when they giggled in an extremely undignified manner. “Hyuuga Hiashi is here to see you, sir. I also took the liberty of ordering in lunch for the three of you.”

Shikaku nodded and took a deep breath. He’d needed that, but it was time to get serious again. “Alright. Show him in.”

Aska nodded and disappeared from the doorway, though he left it open. A moment later Hiashi entered the room, robes and hair impeccable. His eyes lingered on Ensui’s workstation, but he didn’t comment.

“Godaime. You wanted to see me?”

Shikaku stood and motioned to the couch and two chairs surrounding a low table that were tucked into the corner of his large office. “That’s right. Thanks for coming on such short notice. Also, my first name is fine when it’s just us. We’ve known each other since we were in the Academy.”

Hiashi raised a brow but nodded before sitting in one of the chairs. Shikaku took a spot on the couch across from him. Aska reentered with containers of food and started setting them out on the table.

“How’s your family?” Shikaku asked.

“They are well, thank you.”

“Your wife is expecting, right?”

Hiashi accepted a cup of tea from Aska with a murmur of thanks. “She is. A girl.”

“Congratulations.”

Hiashi tipped his head in acknowledgment. “And your wife and son? And ward?”

“All fine.” Aska had moved to set a plate in front of Ensui, whose attention was focused on the work in front of him.  


Aska left after making sure nobody needed anything else and pulled the door shut behind him. “Ensui is acting as my guard for the day, I hope you don’t mind his presence?”

Hiashi studied him. “I do not. Are you not keeping the same guards that the Yondaime favored?”

“Nah, I am. They’re good men, and I know them almost as well as Minato did. I’ve been having them split their time between my family and me.”

“I see.” His frown told Shikaku that he really did see, which was good.

“How’s the draft of that law coming along?”

Shikaku hid his amusement by taking a sip of tea when Hiashi’s brow twitched. Seems like he and Fugaku were getting along just as well as they always did. “It’s coming along well. You should have a copy on your desk by tomorrow morning.”

“Good, good.”

Shikaku took a bite of the rice and vegetable dish that had been set in front of him. Hiashi followed suit and Shikaku used the excuse of eating to take a moment to gather his thoughts. This idea had only come to him while he was feeding the deer with Ensui that morning, but if it worked it would take care of two pressing problems.

He set down his chopsticks and took a drink of tea to rinse the food down, mind made up. “I was wondering if I could ask the Hyuuga for their assistance in solving a personal matter.”

Hiashi turned his full attention towards him, eyes narrowing in obvious interest. “Oh? I’m sure we’d be happy to help if it’s at all possible.”

Shikaku ignored his brother’s eyes on him and leaned back. He stretched his legs out and crossed them at the ankles, then peered at Hiashi over the rim of his mug.

“My family is vulnerable,” he said bluntly. “I have enemies outside the village who won’t be happy when they hear about my appointment, not to mention those within the village who have been less than welcoming. Or who didn’t agree with my decision to take in Minato’s son.”

Hiashi straightened. “Are you saying that you’re worried about attacks from within?”

Shikaku glanced at Ensui. He shrugged, obviously trusting Shikaku’s decision. He was taking a chance in revealing his vulnerabilities, but he needed more allies. He knew how Hiashi worked. Pride was his driving emotion, both in his abilities as a shinobi and in his clan. He was independent and not easily manipulated, and he also kept iron control over his clan members.

If Hiashi said he’d protect the wife and children of the Hokage, his ego would not allow him to do any less. No matter what anybody else in the village had to say about it.

“I am. I can’t give you any details right now, but I need you to understand that what I’m about to ask you is not as simple as it sounds. There are risks, both physical and political, if you accept.”

Hiashi studied him and Shikaku assumed he was considering whether he should demand more details about whom, exactly, Shikaku was worried about. Shikaku just sipped his tea and let him take his time.

Ensui rolled his eyes at the posturing and went back to his work. Shikaku had no doubt that he was still keeping most of his attention on their conversation despite appearances.

“Alright,” Hiashi said. “I’ll hear you out.”

Shikaku sat up and set his tea down on the table. “I need a second guard for Yoshino and the children. Someone I know won’t have divided loyalties.”

Hiashi leaned forward, face clearing in understanding. “Surely the Yamanaka or Akichimi could provide someone?”

Shikaku shook his head. “They’re small clans who suffered major losses along with everyone else. All of their elite members are busy elsewhere. And there are the politics to consider.”

Hiashi nodded. “That’s true. As Hokage, you can’t lean too far on any one clan.”

“No. I trust Inoichi and Chouza with my life, but I now represent the village as a whole, not my clan. It wouldn’t be fair to mix the two.”

“Nor particularly smart.”

“No.”

“You trust me with this? The safety of your family?” Hiashi seemed genuinely surprised.

“I trust that you won’t be manipulated into accidentally betraying me. And, yes, I trust you to keep your word, and in the strength and ability of your clan members.”

“This is a high honor. The Hyuuga clan would be proud to provide a guard to your wife and children. May I ask who the second guard is?”

“Nara Roku. He’s my third cousin and specializes in protection detail.”

If Hiashi were less dignified he might have rubbed his hands together in glee. Instead, his lips just turned up minutely at the corners. To those who paid attention, it would seem like Shikaku was saying he trusted Hyuuga Hiashi just as much as he did his own brother.

Which was bullshit, of course, but with this, he did trust Hiashi. And in addition to finding Yoshino adequate protection, it would keep the Hyuuga clan from braying about all the special attention he was about to start paying the Uchiha.

They discussed terms for awhile and Hiashi promised to send one of his jounin to Shikaku’s house first thing in the morning to begin his or her duties. He left a few minutes later, looking like the cat who’d gotten the cream. Ensui started to laugh as soon as the door shut behind him.

“What’s so funny?” Shikaku grumbled, collapsing back against the couch. Dealing with Hiashi was always exhausting.

“Riku and Yoshino are never going to forgive you for saddling them with a Hyuuga for the foreseeable future.”

Shikaku let that sink in. “Dammit.” He flung an arm across his eyes and did his best to ignore Ensui’s snickers.

He knew he’d forgotten something. “I hope you weren’t kidding about that offer to let me sleep on your couch next time Yoshino kicks me out.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shikaku continues to find his joy in the small things, and for some reason can't seem to make it one day without drama or life-threatening situations arising.

Shikaku slumped down in his chair and closed his eyes while the room slowly filled with jounin. He’d caught three hours of sleep on the couch in his office the night before, and felt lucky for even that small break. 

He’d sat in meetings with the people responsible for the rebuilding of the village for hours. The original proposal had put priority on the government buildings. Shikaku had thought of the displaced women and children he'd been encountering on his walks through the village and demanded they focus on residential areas first. Hiruzen, Inoichi, and Chouza had agreed and they’d spent half the night redrafting and rebudgeting. 

Ensui was in a similar state of exhaustion next to him since he’d refused to leave his side. Shikaku hadn’t realized until his brother fell asleep on the floor by his couch just how worried Ensui was about an assassination attempt. It was sobering, but Shikaku didn’t think he was being paranoid. It wasn’t even just Danzo and Root, but any number of outside threats they needed to worry about. Not to mention that everybody was a little jumpy at the moment concerning Hokages dying.

Shikaku slit his eyes open when two familiar chakra signatures appeared on either side of him. Speaking of paranoia. He glanced at Raido and then at Genma, who were flanking him with stubborn expressions on their faces. Well, he supposed that it was a miracle they’d actually taken the full day off yesterday. 

“I thought I gave you today off.” He was gratified to see that they’d both gotten some sleep and a shower, at the very least.

“With all due respect, Lord Hokage, we aren’t going anywhere. By the way, your new Hyuuga guard checked in an hour ago. Your wife sends her greetings.”

Shikaku cringed and Ensui’s body shook next to him with laughter. “Oh yeah? Who’d Lord Hiashi end up sending?”

He ignored the eavesdroppers around him who gasped at the juicy tidbit of information that Yoshino’s new guard was a Hyuuga. Bunch of gossiping children. And he was expected to somehow lead them. He saw Saori and Mao leap up on the platform from the corner of his eye but kept his attention on his guards.

“His cousin, a main branch member named Aya. I’ve been on a few high profile escort missions with her. She’s good,” Genma said around his ever-present senbon. 

Shikaku hummed. He knew Aya as she’d worked under him when he was Jounin Commander. She was a strong kunoichi and it was a smart move to have a woman on Yoshino’s detail. Somebody needed to go with her into a public bathhouse or similar situations. 

After all, her guards wouldn’t last long if Shikaku had to take them out himself for gawking at his wife. Especially since his own gawking time had decreased a depressing amount the past few weeks. He ignored the questioning glance Ensui sent him at his darkening countenance.

“Alright. Thanks. Did you see Roku?”

“Yeah. He slept in your guest room last night. Lady Yoshino insisted.”

Saori and Mao were listening with undisguised interest, along with half the room. Shikaku glanced at the clock. Two minutes after eight. He stood and stretched. “You ready?” he said to Saori. She jutted her chin out and nodded.

All traces of the grief she’d been cloaked in yesterday were gone, though Shikaku didn’t doubt it was still there beneath the surface. Her arm was still in its sling, but her back was straight and Mao’s tawny fur was well-groomed and gleaming. 

Shikaku stepped forward and raised a hand in the air. The crowd quieted and Shikaku swept his gaze across the room. It lingered on Danzo, Homura, and Koharu, who were standing in the back, before moving on. Well, they were technically jounin, so they had every right to be there. 

Inoichi and Chouza were standing at the front of the room and Shikaku saw Hiashi and Fugaku next to each other, which was interesting, to say the least. Everyone looked worn-down and ragged around the edges, but still sharp. Good.

“First of all, I’d like to thank you for your hard work this past week. I know everybody has been going almost non-stop, and whether you’ve been running missions, working cleanup, or assisting with administrative duties, your efforts have been noted and appreciated. We can overcome this trying time as long as we work together and remain faithful to the Will of Fire that drives the heartbeat of our village.”

A tired cheer rang through the room and Shikaku relaxed further. The jounin forces were already loyal to him, mostly, and he knew how to handle them. “Alright. The reason I called you here today is that I’d like to introduce you to your new Jounin Commander.”

A hush fell over the crowd and Saori and Mao stepped forward. “Inuzuka Saori proved herself time and again as the second-in-command of my unit in the war. Please take care of her.”

There was enthusiastic applause when she stepped forward and grinned. The top of her head only came up to Shikaku’s shoulder, but she had a presence that pulled the attention of the whole room. Mao sat down next to her, elegant and regal in a way most ninken weren’t, even with her right ear now half-gone.

“Well, don’t think you lot are going to have it easy now that I’m Jounin Commander!”

A groan went up, followed by laughter, and a grizzled shinobi named Koji snorted. “I was in your unit, Commander. I’m still trying to get all the mud outta my ears from when you had us hold that pass in the middle of a damned hurricane. I don’t think any of us associate your name with _easy.”_

More laughter and then someone else that Shikaku recognized from their unit called out, “Yeah, but those Iwa nin didn’t gain an inch. Damn fine strategy, and stubborn as hell, even if we were all dreaming of desert by the time Lord Shikaku showed up with reinforcements.”

“Really? All I remember is a bunch of men whining at me about their wet socks for a week.”

Shikaku’s lips twitched. That had been some fine work. He’d thought for sure he was going to show up to find the pass taken and his unit dead when he’d gotten the report that they’d been ambushed. Instead, he’d arrived to discover Saori had somehow rallied the forces and used a combination of traps and guerilla tactics to keep a force five times their size from crossing into their territory.

The Battle of Faru Pass was Saori’s claim to fame and one of the reasons he’d immediately thought of her for Jounin Commander. He figured the international reputation would come with time. He had no doubt she’d make waves in the position.

After that, the meeting ended quickly, with Saori letting the jounin know to expect individual summons from her within the next few weeks. Shikaku handed over her new vest, which was a darker green than the standard uniforms, and the applause was deafening.

Her lips pulled up into a small, pleased smile at their reaction. After putting it on she and Mao disappeared into the crowd to go chat with her new subordinates. He didn’t miss that everywhere she went, laughter followed soon after. 

He turned to Ensui, who was watching the proceedings with a satisfied expression. “I want you to go and report in at your new post,” Shikaku said in a low tone that wouldn’t carry. “Raido and Genma aren’t going anywhere at the moment.”

Ensui sighed but didn’t protest. “Alright. I’ll come by the house tonight to check in.”

Shikaku nodded, then turned and made his way down the steps of the platform. Chouza and Inoichi fell into step on either side of him and Raido and Genma were still at his back.

“We already put in the new marching orders for the contractors,” Chouza said, and his eyes lingered on what Shikaku knew were deep bags under his eyes.

“Alright, thanks.”

He glanced at Inoichi, who just handed him a stack of files with the T&I logo on them. “Read those as soon as you get a chance. And Shikaku, no more courting gifts while I’m at work, okay?” 

He raised one perfect blonde eyebrow and Shikaku thought he must look worse than he thought if that was the only reaction he got for the fruit basket and chocolates. He’d have to up his game, maybe send flowers or show up with Inoichi’s favorite foods for a surprise lunch one day.

“Sure, sure. I guess if you’re embarrassed of me, I’ll be more careful.” He slumped dramatically and tucked the files under an arm while nodding at a group of jounin who greeted him as he walked by. Inoichi rolled his eyes and Chouza chuckled.

He was halfway to the door when Tsume crowded Inoichi out of the way so she could walk with him. “Hey, Lord Hokage, decided to finally put someone from the intelligent clan in charge, huh?” He sighed when she laughed and clapped a hand to his shoulder.

“Saori’s a good choice. You should be proud of her accomplishments.”

Tsume sobered. “I am. Thank you for giving her the opportunity to shine.”

“She earned it.”

Tsume grinned. “See you tomorrow, Lord Shikaku.” 

He exchanged a glance with Chouza, who was laughing under his breath. He and Inoichi veered off at the door after hurried goodbyes. They had their own lists to take care of, after all.

Shikaku inwardly cringed when he heard the tap of a cane behind him after he’d taken a few steps down the road that went through the middle of the Yamanaka land. He considered running, then gave up on the admittedly bad idea and reached into a pocket of his flak jacket to pull out a paper bag. 

“Shimura. I believe my assistant set up a time to meet with you.” It was hard to afford him the respect of using his clan name even when speaking directly to him, now that he knew what he’d done. Still, he had to keep up appearances of being the lazy, weak genius. 

He reached into the bag when Danzo pulled up next him and pulled out a handful of gummy worms. He popped one in his mouth and enjoyed the way Danzo’s jaw ticked. It really was the little things.

“I was hoping to speak with you before then.”

“Oh? Is this an emergency? Should I call a full council meeting and include our Jounin and Chunin Commanders? Worm?” He held out the bag towards him.

He heard Danzo’s teeth grind together and Raido coughed behind them. “No, thank you. And it is not an emergency. I just couldn’t help but notice that you called a meeting with the clan heads I was not invited to -”

“Last time I checked, you’re not the head of your clan.”

“No, but generally the advisors to the Hokage are invited along.”

“That was under the Third and Fourth’s reign. I’d like to keep those meetings private unless we need something specifically from the advisors. Anything else? I have a meeting I’m late for.” 

Shikaku was painfully aware of the fact that they were in public, and knew that Danzo was, too. He waited patiently to see what the man would do. 

“You didn’t tell us you’d decided on a new Jounin Commander.”

“Time is of the essence.”

“Which is why I was hoping for a meeting -”

“Shimura.” Shikaku straightened and let the same cold determination that he used when directing troops in battle wrap around him. The jounin who were still filtering out of the compound straightened in response.

Danzo eyed him, and for the first time since Shikaku became Hokage, he looked wary. “Lord Hokage. Please forgive my presumptions. I will save my concerns for our meeting tomorrow.” He bowed and then disappeared.

“Asshole,” Genma muttered. Shikaku didn’t say anything, though inwardly he agreed. He’d just announced to the world that he didn’t trust Shikaku’s decisions. He had  _ concerns. _ Shikaku just bet he did.

By the end of the day, the village would know that there was trouble in the upper ranks. Danzo had just injected more instability into an already unstable situation. If Shikaku had held any lingering doubts that the man was a problem, they were now gone.

He made it to his office without any further drama, which he honestly considered a win. He already missed Ensui’s steady presence in the desk next to him but knew he had made the right choice in sending him to keep an eye on ANBU.

He spent some time pushing through a stack of paperwork, frowning after an hour had gone by and Kakashi still hadn’t shown up. Minato had complained bitterly this past year about his new habit of being late, but Shikaku hadn’t realized just how bad it had gotten.

When he finally appeared, Shikaku kept his posture relaxed instead of showing any annoyance. Kakashi may be an adult by village standards but he was still just a kid, really. It was normal to lash out when in pain at his age.

“Kakashi,” he greeted, taking in the bags under his eyes and the body that had somehow gotten even more gangly and thin over the past week.

“Lord Hokage. Sorry I’m late, I came across a black cat -”

“It’s okay, Kakashi. Why don’t you take a seat? Are you hungry?”

Kakashi eyed him warily before edging over to the chair and sitting down gingerly. “No.”

Shikaku leaned back and studied Kakashi, who was doing his best to hide how uncomfortable he was. “I’m sorry I haven’t had a chance to speak to you before this.”

“It’s fine.”

“No, it’s not. Minato saw you as a little brother, and I -”

“Don’t.” Kakashi’s voice was low and ragged and Shikaku closed his mouth.

After a moment he cleared his throat. “Alright. I was wondering if you’ve been thinking about where you’d like to be assigned. There are a few teams with open spots, and Genma offered -”

“ANBU.”

Shikaku raised a brow, but once again didn’t comment on his interruption. “ANBU?”

“That’s right.” He met Shikaku’s gaze with his uncovered eye squarely, almost daring him to argue. Ugh, teenagers.

Shikaku drummed his fingers on the desk. He was fairly certain Minato would not be a fan of Kakashi going into ANBU. Then again, Minato had joined it fairly young, himself, so he really couldn’t throw stones.

“Why?”

Kakashi blinked at the question. “I want to serve my vill -”

“The real reason, please. Not whatever you think I want to hear.”

The boy’s jaw worked beneath his mask and after a good thirty seconds of silence, Shikaku began to think he wasn’t going to answer. “I want to disappear,” he whispered.

Shikaku frowned and leaned forward. After what happened with his father, a statement like that was more than a little concerning. 

Kakashi saw his expression and rolled his eye. “I don’t mean I want to die. I just...the way people look at me.” He swallowed. “I just don’t want to be seen, for a while. I want to...focus on something else.” His voice was stilted and he was obviously uncomfortable with revealing even that much.

Shikaku blew out a breath. On one hand, Kakashi was traumatized and he doubted ANBU would offer him the stability he needed. Not to mention the current issues in the organization. On the other, he knew Kakashi had to be feeling like his life was out of control. Everybody he loved had been ripped from him, his village was in shambles, and they just came out of a war.

Shikaku tipped his head to the side. “Usually, a member of ANBU sponsors a new member. That’s how you’re invited to apply.”

“I have a sponsor,” Kakashi said.

Well, that was alarming. Usually, a sponsor brought their nominee to Shikaku, first. No wonder Kakashi seemed confused. Shikaku could only think of one person who would do something like this, and it infuriated him.

“Let me guess. Shimura Danzo.”

“How did you -”

“I’m sorry to inform you, but Danzo isn’t a member of ANBU.” Shikaku tried to sound less like he was contemplating murder than he was feeling.

Kakashi’s shoulders slumped. He looked defeated and like he wasn’t even that surprised by yet another disappointment. Just like that, Shikaku knew what had to be done. Hopefully, he wouldn’t end up regretting it, but he had a feeling if he refused Kakashi now, he’d lose him for good. 

“Alright.” He held up a hand when Kakashi’s head whipped up and he stared at him with a wide eye. “Two conditions. I choose your sponsor, and you stay far away from Shimura Danzo.”

Kakashi studied him, calculating. When he spoke, his question surprised Shikaku. “Why did you take in...him?” His voice cracked on the word, and Shikaku took a breath, knowing exactly who he was referring to.

“He’s Minato’s son,” he said simply. 

“People are already saying...I mean, a lot of people are upset about it.”

“He’s Minato’s son,” Shikaku repeated. 

Kakashi nodded once, slowly. “Okay. I’ll take your deal.” He stood, looking like he was about two seconds away from dashing from the room to go bathe away all the  _ feelings _ . 

“Alright. I’ll have your sponsor find you in a few days.” Kakashi bowed and turned to leave, but paused when Shikaku spoke again. “And Kakashi? You need to start eating and sleeping, or your sponsor will drop you. I’ll make sure of it. If you need help sleeping, go see my wife, she’ll give you some pills our clan uses for insomnia. They won’t send you so deep you’ll be vulnerable, but they’ll help.”

Kakashi stiffened and his hands clenched into fists. “Fine,” he bit out. Shikaku looked back down at the work in front of him, fully expecting Kakashi to leave. 

To his surprise, he turned back around. Shikaku glanced up. “You - you’ll keep him safe?”

Shikaku let out a breath of air. “Yes. Everything I can do within my power, I will.”

Kakashi nodded and then disappeared. Shikaku sighed and hoped that time was all Kakashi needed. The boy wouldn’t accept any other type of help, it seemed.

His afternoon was thankfully drama free. Shikaku met with various civilian merchants and contractors and spent a few hours getting Saori up to speed. She picked up what needed to be done quickly before leaving. 

She was mumbling about new training regimes and rubbing her hands together as she made her way out of his office (she'd 'misplaced' her brace already). She had a slightly manic smile on her face that never meant good things for whoever she was thinking about. He almost felt bad for his jounin.

He met with the chunin commander next, a man named Motoro who was thirty years Shikaku’s senior and had been in the position almost as long as Shikaku had been alive. He was conservative and a little grumpy but knew what he was doing. Shikaku had always liked him, for the most part, and was glad he’d survived.

By the end of the day, he was so tired he could barely see straight. He was just getting ready to give up and go home when Swan and Mouse appeared before him.

“Lord Hokage. Your worms,” Swan said.

Shikaku accepted the covered bucket with all the solemnity of somebody receiving a sacred scroll. “Thank you, Swan, Mouse. Your service to the village has been noted.”

Swan’s pinky finger twitched and Mouse tipped her head to the side. Success. “Did you need anything else, Lord Hokage?”

Shikaku shook his head and waved his hand to dismiss them. He stepped out of his office and Genma and Raido moved to flank him. They gave the bucket he was carrying a sideways look but neither mentioned it. 

“Hey,” he said around a yawn and they returned his greeting with undisguised amusement.

They were stopped four times by random people wanting to greet their Hokage on their way to the Nara compound, so it was well past dark by the time they turned onto the empty, tree-lined path that would lead to his home.

Shikaku’s brow wrinkled when he realized the deer, which were always there to greet him at the edge of the property no matter the time of day, were nowhere to be seen.

“Genma. Raido.” They both stiffened and then he felt it - a slight spike of killing intent.

He didn’t flinch when a figure in black jumped out of the tree directly above him, bearing down on him with a short sword. It was stopped six inches from him by Raido’s weapon. Shikaku stepped back and to the side, resisting the urge to cut in when two more figures twisted into the fray. His guards needed a win.

Genma spit his senbon at a woman with long brown hair and she twisted before it hit her eye, though it left a thin line of blood across her cheek. Raido kicked the man who had originally lashed out at Shikaku in the stomach and he flew back into a tree. He then rounded on the third would-be assassin, another woman.

Her neck was covered in a mass of burn scars and her black eyes were narrowed in determination. She was wearing an Iwa hitai-ate, which was unfortunate. Shikaku took another step back to ensure that his worms wouldn’t be compromised, mind already racing through how they’d made it into the village and what their presence meant.

Ensui’s mole scouts should have noticed them slipping in, not to mention the increased security he’d had set up. He casually ducked a stray kunai, though he needn’t have bothered, since a perfectly thrown senbon from Genma sent it off course. Nice.

Raido was forcing the scarred woman back with short jabs and slices of his sword. The other woman was stumbling and shaking her head back and forth in confusion. He’d heard rumors that the ever-present senbon in Genma’s mouth was coated in a poison he’d spent years building a tolerance to. He supposed this proved them true.

Genma threw a kunai that went right past the male ninja, barely missing him. He then disappeared and reappeared right behind him and sank three senbon into his neck. The man slumped to the ground, though Shikaku could see he was alive. 

Raido ducked down and put the hand not holding his sword on the ground. He kicked out and up with his right foot and the scarred woman let out a wheeze of air and curved in on herself when it connected solidly with her stomach. Before she could recover, Raido flipped his body up into a spin. His sword flashed in an arc and her head sailed through the air, no longer attached to her body.

All three of them turned interested gazes towards the woman who had been grazed by Genma's senbon. Her breathing was labored and her eyes were blank. She still had a kunai in one hand, but it was trembling. She took three shuffling steps forward before her eyes rolled up into and she slumped to the ground.

The whole thing took less than sixty seconds.

“Well,” Shikaku said. “Where should we hide the bodies?”

Two disbelieving gazes swung his way and he held up his hands, one still holding the swinging bucket of worms, luckily unharmed. “I mean, good job, you both did very well taking out the three assassins with their Iwa headbands very obviously on display. Now, can we please get rid of them so that whoever sent them doesn’t succeed in inciting war?”

His guards’ eyes widened and Shikaku sighed. He’d really been hoping for a good night’s rest, too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The super smart and intellectual theme of this work seems to be...worms. Yep. :D


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shikaku deals with the after-effects of an assassination attempt and makes his first overt move against Danzo. Also, moles.

Yoshino was torn between glaring at Shikaku for the new addition to her guard and furrowing her brows in worry over the recent attempt on his life. Honestly, the would-be assassins had done him a favor. No way would she hold a grudge after somebody tried to kill him.

Inoichi and Ensui had taken the shinobi who was still alive further into the forest to interrogate her. He’d tried to go along and had been glared away by, well, everybody.

“Lord Hokage, are you saying you don’t trust me to perform an interrogation?” Inoichi had asked in a not-at-all-deceptively mild tone.

Shikaku had stayed.

He knew they were concerned about him getting caught up in one of Iwa’s infamously destructive and sneaky suicide jutsu. It made him antsy, being kept out of the action, letting one of his best friends and his brother take a potential hit for him. It had him sitting stiffly, staring down at his still-full cup of sake and wishing that Minato had chosen somebody - _anybody_ \- else.

Genma and Raido were in the corner with Yoshino’s guards, talking furtively. Shikaku wondered if they were planning to wrap his whole family in foam. Being the Hokage sucked.

Chouza was in the kitchen with Yoshino, where she’d gone after her indecision became too much for her, and he could hear his low voice and her soft laughter filtering down the hall. Shikaku thought about the way the three assassins had moved. He thought about the Iwa hitai-ate, and how desolate and desperate Iwa’s troops had looked towards the end of the war.

The knob of the front door turned and Inoichi and Ensui both entered the room. They were drenched in blood and there was a piece of something wet and dripping hanging from Ensui’s ponytail.

“We got nothing,” Inoichi spat, then stalked off down the hall towards the bathroom.

He heard Yoshino gasp and her footsteps following him when he passed by the kitchen. “Inoichi! Are you hurt?”

“No, no, I’m fine. Are there still towels in the -”

Their voices became fainter and Shikaku sighed and shook his head at Ensui’s furious expression. “Suicide technique?”

Ensui nodded and a drop of blood fell from his sleeve to the floor. Shikaku stood. “Go on, you can use our guest bathroom upstairs. Genma, Raido. Let’s look over the two remaining bodies, then take care of them.”

The bodies were clear of any obvious markings. No mission scrolls signed and stamped by the Tsuchikage or faded tattoos declaring Iwa as supreme. Shikaku studied their hands and feet closely before nodding at Genma and Raido, who set about burying them in the Nara forest.

When he returned, everybody except the guards were gathered in the living room again. Naruto had woken up at some point and looked even tinier than usual in Chouza’s arms. Ensui and Inoichi were both wearing sweats and t-shirts that Shikaku recognized as his own and he could hear the washing machine going down the hall.

Somebody had cleaned up the blood on the floor, too. Yoshino was sitting perched on the couch, still in a way that meant she was upset or afraid. Probably both. Inoichi was in a large armchair next to Chouza and Ensui was leaning against a wall, arms crossed over his chest and expression stormy.

Shikaku sank onto the couch next to Yoshino and put his hand over hers. Her smile was tremulous and he returned it. He wanted to offer her more comfort but knew she wouldn’t appreciate it with everybody watching. Instead, he turned his attention back to the room. “Aya, Roku, Genma, Raido. Join us.”

The four guards blurred into the room and stood against the walls, bodies stiff and ready. Shikaku let his gaze wander across everybody in the room, pausing to make eye contact with each of them before he spoke. “I expect all of you to keep what happened to yourselves.” There was some stiffening of postures and Ensui opened his mouth to protest. “Those weren’t Iwa nin.”

That had everybody snapping their mouths shut. Inoichi leaned forward, pursing his lips while he thought back through the evidence. “That suicide jutsu. It was like a weaker, knocked-off version of what Iwa nin would use.”

“It’s a secret technique designed to be extremely destructive to discourage enemies from taking them as prisoners of war. That one only succeeded in destroying the body instead of everything within a forty-foot radius,” Ensui added.

“And it’s only taught to higher level nin. Those assassins were good, but they weren’t the level of good you need to have the jutsu taught to you,” Raido said. He kept flipping a kunai over in his hand and catching it, posture deceptively relaxed, the scars across his face appearing deeper than usual in the dim lighting.

Shikaku nodded. “That’s right. I spent most of the war fighting against Iwa in particular. Those assassins didn’t move quite right. Shinobi from Iwa tend to have rougher, cracked skin on their hands and feet, probably from the harsh landscape they grew up in. These bodies didn’t show any evidence of that.”

“So, it’s sabotage,” Roku said in a grim tone. He had lighter colored hair than Ensui and Shikaku and bright grey eyes. He favored his father in looks, who had married into the clan. He was accomplished in the Nara techniques and his intelligence rivaled most of the clan. It was a constant relief that he was one of Yoshino's guards. “But sabotage of whom?”

Shikaku shrugged. “Does it matter? Somebody either wants to kill me and pin it on somebody else, or they want to incite war between Iwa and Konoha. Or both. Either way, nobody wins.”

“That’s why you want to hide that it happened,” Aya added in a low tone and Shikaku brought his full attention to her. She was beautiful and elegant, like most of her clan members. Her dark hair was long and loose and she was wearing a short blue battle kimono over mesh pants.

“That’s right. Don’t worry about telling Hiashi, I’ll talk to him about it myself.”

Shikaku wasn’t stupid enough to expect her to keep something like this from her clan head, but he’d rather control the flow of information. She inclined her head and Yoshino stiffened next to him. He squeezed her hand before she could say something scathing about keeping secrets and divided loyalties.

“Okay. Ensui, you and I need to go and meet with our contacts, see if they noticed anything odd. Chouza, I need you to find out how they got past our defenses. We’ve got a hole in our security, obviously. Roku, Aya. I’m going to send a few of my ANBU to shore up the defenses for my family. Work them into your rotations.”

They both nodded and Shikaku rolled his shoulders. “Inoichi, see if your department can find any disagreements between other countries that could result in one of them trying to take the attention off of themselves by starting another war.”

He stood and stretched his arms over his head. “Genma, Raido -” he took one look at them and knew he’d have to drag them away kicking and screaming if he tried to send them home. He sighed. “You can stay in the guest bedroom. Come on, Ensui.”

He held up a hand when his guards tried to follow. “We’re just going down the hall. Calm down.” He reached down and swiped up the worm bucket and led the way to his office, ignoring Inoichi and Chouza’s amused expressions. They’d spotted the moles once in camp when they were younger, though thankfully his summons had no idea that they knew of their existence. Shikaku trusted them to never tell another soul.

The two of them spent some time dividing worms into baggies, Ensui grumbling about how he’d just gotten clean. When they were done, Shikaku summoned Yen and Ensui summoned one of his scouts, Haro. Haro was larger than Yen and Bono, but not so large that somebody would think he wasn’t a normal mole.

Yen and Haro took one look at each other and fell into a rolling, screaming fight. “Scout!” Yen screeched. “You do not deserve the name Mole. We are spies and information gatherers, not glorified lookouts!”

“Ha! You and your brother are the cowards of the clan. You sneak and listen but my brothers and I are guardians. We watch for trouble, we warn the summoners when danger is in their midst! Yes, we do!”

“Knowledge is the greatest power!” Yen squeaked, then dove onto Haro’s back and slammed his paw down on his head, grinding his face into the carpet.

Shikaku and Ensui sat back and let them fight it out, knowing better than to interfere. That would just end in bitten fingers and two furious moles telling them to mind their own business.

Haro flipped Yen off his back and turned on him, hissing. They bounced from right paws to left and back, circling each other and yelling insults. Honestly, Shikaku didn’t see what the difference was between the two factions. They both basically did surveillance, though Ensui’s summons were focused on security and Shikaku’s on information gathering.

Once their voices started cracking with exhaustion, Shikaku broke in. “I have your worms, Yen.”

“Yeah, I’ve got some, too, Haro.” They both spun and looked at them with bright eyes that followed the bags swinging from their hands avidly.

“Oh, we are so hungry, yes we are! Spying on that grumpy old man is hard work, yes it is. He goes here and there and everywhere, always scheming, yes, yes!”

“Sounds about right,” Ensui mumbled.

“And us! My brothers and I, moving, moving, moving around Konoha, looking for threats. Yesterday we stopped two snake summons from entering. We bit off their heads, yes we did!”

Yen cheered, their shared hatred of snakes allowing for them to let their feud go long enough to high five. Ensui and Shikaku exchanged looks. Snake summons could only mean one thing. Well, that was just perfect; Orochimaru was sticking his nose into things, it seemed.

“Probably just testing our defenses,” Ensui said and Shikaku nodded.

“Any other trouble, Haro? Anything else seem off?” Ensui raised his voice to ask over their crowing.

Haro hummed and sat up, then hopped from one back foot to another. “Nope, nope. Only building and ANBU digging and digging and muttering about eccentric Hokage. They are bad worm charmers. Bad, bad!”

Ensui snickered and tossed his bags at Haro, who hugged them to his chest and whispered, _“Worms”_ with reverence before disappearing in a puff of smoke to rejoin his brothers.

“Yen,” Shikaku said and leaned forward. “Give me details on what, exactly, Danzo’s been up to.”

Yen took a deep breath, then launched into a detailed, high-pitched retelling of Danzo’s activities. Despite their flighty natures, the spy moles gave good reports.

Danzo had spent the past few days bitching with Homura and Koharu about what a terrible choice Shikaku was for Hokage, which wasn’t exactly shocking. He’d also made his rounds to the clan heads to try and glean information on what they’d discussed in the meeting he hadn’t been invited to. Nobody had told him about the new law being drafted. Good.

At some point on the morning of the first day, they’d lost him and then tracked him back down in an underground facility but weren’t able to get inside. “We’ll keep looking for an entrance!” Yen added. “Yes, yes, we’ll get inside. Mark my words! The Mole Clan cannot be kept out of anything.”

Shikaku flashed a grin at Yen. “I know. Just be careful, he’s intelligent and used to keeping Orochimaru’s summons from his doings, I’d guess.”

Yen gathered himself up. “Stupid snake summons have nothing on the moles!”

The most disturbing part of the report was when Danzo had gone to the memorial stone (Yen called it the Crying Stone, which was depressing) to track down the “sad, sad boy who smells like dog.”

Shikaku’s whole body had felt cold when he described the conversation they’d had. Danzo, trying to convince Kakashi that the reason Minato had died was that the village leaders were too soft. “He said, ‘join with me, and you’ll make it safe, yes you will.’”

“And what did Kakashi say back? Exactly?” Shikaku urged.

Yes’s nose twitched. “He said nothing. Danzo just said ‘I’ll see you when you realize I’m right.’ We don’t like him. Not at all.”

“Okay. Did he say anything about assassins, or sending somebody to attack me?”

Yen stilled and studied him. “No. You’re hurt?” Shikaku was touched by his concern for all of two seconds. “Because injury is no excuse for skimping on worms!”

Shikaku sighed and tossed Yen the two bags of worms. He was so lost in his thoughts that he barely heard the little mole’s exclamations and singing before he disappeared.

It was going to be a struggle not to punch Danzo in the face next time he saw him. Kakashi was just a broken-hearted kid who had lost the last of his family a week ago, and Danzo was trying to use him to shit all over Minato’s memory. More disturbing was that none of the moles had any idea where the assassins had come from.

They couldn’t be everywhere at once, of course, but still. They wouldn’t have been able to sneak in from the outside without them realizing it. They had ways of knowing those things, though the moles were pretty close-mouthed about their exact methods. Shikaku had some theories but had never pressed.

“God, they’re exhausting,” Ensui said from his spot on the couch. He did look tired, but Shikaku knew it had nothing to do with the moles. They were all pushing themselves too hard.

“Alright. Give me a rundown on how the Root investigation is going, then we’ll all find our beds.”

Ensui shrugged and closed his eyes. “I just went through everything Monkey already has. It’s not much. Shimura Danzo is surprisingly good at hiding his tracks, for a guy who has shown zero subtlety.”

“It’s his way of making us relax our guard. Make us think he’s showing all his hands politically and with personal attacks. Then we won’t look too much below the surface.”

“It’s worked for him up until now.”

“Well, he’s never taken on a Nara before, let alone two.” They shared feral grins before sobering.

“This is going to get worse before it gets better,” Ensui said in a grim tone. “Maybe we should just take him off the board.”

Shikaku seriously considered it. It was tempting, and he knew that he and Ensui would be able to pull it off. “We can’t,” he finally said, sounding sulky even to himself. “There’s too much unrest and fear right now, we can’t kill off an important political figure. Plus, we need to get more information on what, exactly, he’s up to, or we could be blindsided by the fallout.”

Ensui let out a breath and nodded. “Fine. I want to do it just for the shit he pulled with Kakashi.”

Shikaku hummed. “He asked to join ANBU today.”

“The last thing that kid needs is more blood and death.”

“I said yes.”

Ensui sat up. “What the hell? Why would you -”

“He needed a win.” Shikaku shrugged. “Plus, it would have just given Danzo an in with him. I made him promise to stay away from him and made it clear I’d choose his sponsor.”

Ensui expression was the picture of unimpressed. “I can’t do it. I’m hip-deep in the Root investigation, not to mention clan stuff and keeping your sorry ass alive. I’d let him down.”

Shikaku sighed and nodded, only slightly annoyed at the comment about keeping him alive. Ensui knew he could take care of himself, but then, Minato had been a more than capable shinobi, too. “Alright. Any suggestions?”

“Mouse and Swan. They work as partners, so you’d need to assign him to both. Have Inoichi do a psych eval to make sure they aren’t Root, first. Actually, I was going to suggest that all your ANBU get that done.”

“And do what with Danzo’s spies?”

“Let them think they got away with it, that we didn’t figure it out, then keep an eye on them. Start getting an idea of how they work.” The answer was so prompt that Shikaku knew Ensui must have been thinking about it for a while.

Shikaku blew out a breath. “Alright. I’m going to have Inoichi do that first. I’ll send them on out-of-village missions as much as I can.” It was a good way to keep Kakashi clear of the drama, at the very least.

“Okay. I’ll handpick the ANBU for Yoshino and the kids’ extra detail, too. I looked into your nighttime watch, as well, they all seem good, pending Inoichi clearing them. So you can let your guards have regular schedules as soon as they get a little less jumpy.”

Shikaku snorted. “Mother hens.”

“Yep. Though beating the snot out of a few assassins seems to have taken the edge off.”

Shikaku chuckled, mostly because it was true. They were already standing straighter. “Thanks, Ensui.” He clapped him on the shoulder. “I’m glad you’re here.”

“Yeah, well. You know I’ve got your back.”

Yeah, Shikaku knew.

000

Watching Fugaku and Hiashi stiffly talk through their proposed law the next day went a long way towards cheering Shikaku up. Best friends, they were not. They did look slightly less ready to challenge each other to a duel, so there was that.

Shikaku wondered if he should pick up some books on child rearing and use the methods detailed on behavior modification on his more reticent shinobi. He spent a few minutes happily imagining Danzo in time out. Actually, he supposed his short-term plans for him could be compared to taking a misbehaving child’s toys away.

“Alright, that seems pretty straightforward,” Shikaku said once they were finished. He’d already read through it, after all.

The other clan heads were nodding along. Shikaku didn’t need their permission to put a new law into effect, but he knew everything was easier with the support of your subordinates. Nobody tried to subvert laws they believed in.

“Well, if we’re agreed, then I’ll sign it and it will go into effect immediately.”

The meeting ended soon after and Shikaku resisted the urge to drag his feet while he made his way to his appointment with his advisors. He was seriously looking forward to the day that the village had its feet under it enough for him to ditch at least Danzo.

Ensui raised a brow at him in obvious question but Shikaku just shook his head. He wanted to keep his brother as far from the advisors as he could. At least Hiruzen would be there. That was something.

He took out his bag of gummy worms when the longing for a drink hit him. It had been Inoichi’s suggestion, that he have something to snack on to keep his hands and mouth busy when the cravings hit too hard. Shikaku hoped it wouldn’t make him gain weight, and realized that he really needed to take time out of his schedule to keep up with training.

He hadn’t even had a chance to look through the box of goodies Minato had left behind for him. Shikaku had to be at the top of his game, physically. He hadn’t missed the fact that three of the four Hokage before him had died young and violently.

He popped a red gummy worm in his mouth and chewed it almost mournfully, then tossed the newly signed law on his assistant’s desk. “Aska. File this and make some copies, then bring them into the advisors and me, please.”

Aska looked up and nodded. Shikaku was fairly certain he hadn’t been sleeping any more than he had the past week, so how was he so put together? Shikaku secretly believed it was a Yamanaka superpower. Inoichi could stay awake for days and still come out the other end looking fine.

He was pretty sure his heart shriveled when he entered his office and saw his four advisors already seated around the low table in the corner. He held the bag out towards them. “Worm?”

Homura’s eye twitched and he decided to declare it a victory. Koharu’s lips twisted, Hiruzen’s smile was indulgent, and Danzo’s remained impassive. He rolled the excess bag around the bulge of candy and tucked it away in his flak jacket.

“I see you’ve forgone the robes,” Koharu said, eyeing him with disapproval.

He just hummed, uninterested in getting into an argument about his attire, of all things. He greeted them and sat and they returned it with varying levels of enthusiasm.

“Well. Would anybody like to start, or should we dive right into the agenda Aska put together for us?” Shikaku gestured to the sheet of paper sitting next to the tea. It was color coded. His adoration for his assistant grew.

“Actually, I do have something I’d like to bring up,” Homura said.

Shikaku looked over and gestured for him to speak. It wasn’t often that Homura offered anything except general support for the others, after all. “I noticed that you still live in your old house on Nara lands.”

Shikaku blinked. He had honestly not expected a discussion about where he was living, considering everything else going on. He glanced at Hiruzen, who was frowning. Danzo seemed more bored than anything, and Koharu looked thoughtful.

“Well, the house that Hokage used to move into upon appointment was destroyed by the Kyuubi, so we couldn’t exactly relocate.”

Homura sighed and sat back. “It’s inappropriate for the Hokage to live with one clan. Nobody has had the time to notice yet, but they will. There will already be eyes on you and Ensui to ensure you aren’t showing favoritism. It was a smart move to choose an Inuzuka for your Jounin Commander and a Hyuuga for your family’s guard, but it won’t be enough if you continue to reside on Nara lands.”

Shikaku stared at him, a little surprised that he agreed with any of Shikaku’s decisions, let alone those he appointed with a wanton disregard for their opinions.

Hiruzen shifted. “Homura,” he said with slight censure, “the village has a lot going on, as does Shikaku. We can’t expect him to -”

“He’s right,” Shikaku cut in. “We’ll have some leeway, due to the attack, but not much.”

Homura looked just as shocked at their agreement on something as Shikaku was feeling. Actually, Shikaku was a little annoyed that he hadn’t thought of it himself. There was honestly just too much going on for him to worry about things like where he was living.

“I’ll talk to the contractors about putting a crew on it -” Koharu started and Shikaku held up a hand.

“No. I still want civilian housing at the top of their list. I’ll deal with finding somebody to rebuild the Hokage’s residence. It will be a gift from my family to the village.”

Danzo hummed. “That’s very generous.”

“The Nara didn’t suffer as many losses as others. I can afford it.” Plus, this way he’d have complete control over the construction. Nara contractors were good at building in little saferooms and extra defenses. And nobody else would get to the blueprints, he’d make sure of it.

“Well, now that we’ve dealt with that -”

“I’d like to talk about Inuzuka Saori,” Danzo cut in.

“Of course you would.” Shikaku leaned back and stretched his legs out in a non-verbal fuck you and gestured for him to continue.

Danzo’s lips pressed together and Shikaku gave himself a mental pat on the back. “I’m concerned about her lack of experience.”

“She served as Shikaku’s second in his unit, and from the reports I read, she’s a strong leader and strategist,” Hiruzen said as he took his pipe out of his robes and began packing it.

“Yes, but she’s not well-known beyond our borders, outside of some infamy in Iwa.” Shikaku turned his attention to Homura, who looked more concerned than angry.

Shikaku sighed and sat up, deciding he needed to give them a real explanation. “I know she isn’t well-known to our enemies, but that can work in our favor. She’s already fairly unpredictable, as her clan tends to be, which means their Intelligence departments won’t be able to predict her movements. That will make them wary.” There were whole departments in other villages that were dedicated to picking apart Shikaku’s past strategies.

Danzo scoffed. “Unpredictable is not a good leadership quality.”

Shikaku kept his gaze steady on him and his voice bland. “I never said she was unpredictable in her leadership qualities. It’s her strategies that tend to surprise and confound. She inspires loyalty and trust in her troops, and on top of that is genuinely likable. Give her six months, and our jounin forces will follow that woman anywhere.”

Koharu straightened. “You truly believe that strongly in her ability to do this?” She looked more interested than worried, now, and Shikaku realized she was probably hoping that the first woman to ever be appointed Jounin Commander would succeed.

“Absolutely. Her reputation will come with time, and make no mistake, anybody who messes with her once will rethink it before they do it again.”

“Alright. Next time, however, perhaps you could bring it up to this council first,” Koharu said in a tone that somebody might use to scold a misbehaving student.

Shikaku tilted his head to the side. “Let me make one thing very clear.” Everybody except for Hiruzen stiffened at his tone. It was the same one he used when directing troops, or trying to convince enemy ninja to back down. Low, steady, and absolutely threatening.

“I am the Hokage. I appreciate your input, and will take it seriously, as you are all respected members of Konoha who have proven yourselves loyal,” he barely resisted curling his lip at the lie, at least where it concerned one of them, “but I will make the decisions that I feel are best for the village, and in the end you will accept those decisions or you will no longer be a member of this council.”

He released the tension in his body and reached forward to make himself a cup of tea while everybody absorbed what he’d just said. Well, that had been cathartic.

“I see,” Danzo said stiffly and Shikaku had an almost irresistible urge to roll his eyes.

Aska chose that moment to knock on the door and enter, a pile of packets in his hands. Oh, good, more confrontations. “Thanks, Aska,” Shikaku said when he handed one out to each of them.

“You’re welcome, Lord Hokage.” Aska’s smile held a lot of pity in it. Yeah, Shikaku would pity himself, too. Had pitied Minato, actually, even when he teased him before every council meeting. Karma was getting the last laugh, now. He ignored the pang in his chest at the thought of Minato’s dramatic groans and bright blue eyes.

“Well, as you know, I took Lord Hiruzen’s advice and passed the gag order on anyone mentioning Naruto’s status as jinchuuriki. After some discussion with the clan heads, I’ve passed another law, as well.”

Koharu and Homura exchanged looks after reading the first page. Hiruzen was frowning down at it and looked a little paler than he had a moment ago. So he'd already figured out where Shikaku was going with this.

It was Homura who finally spoke. “I’m sorry, Lord Hokage, but I don’t understand. Isn’t this obvious? Of course, those who aren’t in the chain of command shouldn’t be in control of our forces.”

Shikaku nodded and sipped his tea, and satisfaction uncurled in his stomach at the perfect setup for this discussion. “Yes, usually it is fairly obvious. However, a recent situation brought the fact to light that sometimes people tend to get a little...confused about their roles.”

“Oh?” Koharu said, the lines around her mouth deepening. Ah, she was figuring out how he worked, then. Shikaku didn’t do anything without a good reason.

“That’s right. It seems Shimura requested that the Uchiha stay out of the fight against the Kyuubi, instead directing them to cover civilian retreat. I’m afraid that put the Uchiha into a bit of a bad light and since Shimura is not, in fact, their commanding officer, the blame has fallen firmly on Uchiha Fugaku.”

He kept his tone light and respectful despite the way Danzo’s face twisted. “Nobody’s fault, really, but we decided we needed something that made the chain of command more clear cut. You can find details outlined in the document.”

Danzo stood and tossed the packet on the table. “This is an obvious and ridiculous attempt to discredit me. I only did what I had to do. It was clear that an Uchiha was to blame for the attack -”

Shikaku held up a hand, delighted at his reaction. “Nobody’s blaming you,” he lied. “This was only a response to an obvious breakdown in the system. In fact, it was your own clan head who pointed out the way it left people vulnerable on all sides.”

Danzo’s nostrils flared and Shikaku let the satisfaction of a good plan coming together roll through him. It was better than sake, certainly better than gummy worms. “That reminds me,” he said, casual. “Your little Foundation. In light of this new law, I think it’s best if we dissolve it into the main forces of ANBU, hmm?”

The other four shinobi in the room stopped breathing and Shikaku leaned forward to swipe up one of the cookies that Aska had arranged on the tray. It was his favorite - ginger.

“Excuse me?” Danzo finally broke through the icy silence and Shikaku shrugged and swallowed his bite, running his tongue over his teeth to make sure he’d gotten it all. A clump of chewed up dough on his teeth would probably ruin the effect of apathetic winner of battles of wills he was going for.

“Well, you’re not really in the chain of command, are you? The Hokage is supposed to be in charge of ANBU, with his ANBU Commander handling the day-to-day minutiae. With this new law, you’d technically be breaking the law if we continued. Plus, I’m not sure I really see a need for it. I’m perfectly comfortable handling the darker aspects of being the Hokage on my own.”

He met Danzo’s gaze levelly and popped the rest of the cookie in his mouth. Yeah, he didn’t mind doing what had to be done, he just didn’t revel in it or use it as an excuse to do whatever he wanted. But if Danzo wanted to play in the shadows, Shikaku was perfectly willing to show him what it meant to go up against a true master.

Danzo’s jaw ticked and several seconds went by before he looked away. “Fine.”

“Uh huh,” Shikaku said, ignoring the tense looks they were receiving from the rest of the room. “I’ll send Monkey and his second to you this evening. I expect you to hand over everything to them and gather every Root member in the village to introduce them to their new leaders. Give Monkey a list of whoever is currently out running missions, as well.”

Danzo only managed to nod before he turned and slammed out of the room, most likely to go do some scheming of his own. Shikaku kind of wanted to find a dark room to breathe in for a while without eyes on him, but he still had three advisors staring at him with a mix of concern, horror, and disapproval.

Shikaku picked up two more cookies and thought longingly of an easier time when all he was expected to do was slaughter enemies of the village and come up with battle-winning strategies.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fugaku goes to Shikaku to request assistance, and our favorite Nara finds a new person to annoy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've gotten a few comments voicing concern over Kakashi's age, considering the pairing tags. Please don't worry! Little Kakashi will be having no romantic entanglements or anything close to it while he's still just a little guy. The eventual romance tag is real - honestly, no romance will be happening for a very long time outside of background or already established relationships, and for the most part, this fic can be considered more plot and gen focused with secondary romance elements.
> 
> Also, as always, thanks so much for the comments and kudos and lurkers. It's so nice to see people enjoying this work. :)
> 
> Chapter warning: Discussions of prostitution, but no actual prostituting (is that a word?)

Fugaku glanced up when somebody knocked on the side of the open door to his office. “Hairu,” he greeted and motioned for the young officer to come inside.

They’d never spoken directly, but he knew of every member of the Military Police Force, had memorized their files so that he never had to stop to wonder about strengths or weaknesses in an emergency situation. Hairu had only recently been made chunin. He was a junior officer in the Military Police Force, being trained by Mikoto’s older brother, Itsuki.

He was, Itsuki had noted in his file, prone to being overly-cautious and was quite shy. The truth of his observations were evident when Hairu stuttered out his own greeting and bowed low. “M-may I speak to you alone, sir?”

Fugaku raised a brow and sat back. “You may. Close the door and sit down.”

Hairu hurried to do as he was told, tripping over his own feet before taking a seat in front of the desk. Fugaku would need to discuss the boy’s clumsiness with Itsuki. They could not have somebody wearing the uniform who was so obviously flustered.

“What can I do for you, Hairu?” he prompted after a moment of fidgeting from the boy.

Hairu's eyes widened, which made him look even younger than his thirteen years. “Oh, right. Sorry. I, that is - something happened the night of the Kyuubi attack that I need to speak to you about.”

“That was almost a month ago. Why are you only here now?”

Hairu flushed and looked down at his feet. “I wasn’t sure, sir. I needed to do some investigation to confirm, and - and bring you more information. Plus, you’ve been very busy and mostly out of the office and I didn’t want to draw attention by asking after you...” His babbling trailed off and he hunched in on himself.

Fugaku sighed. Yes, he needed to talk to Itsuki. “If you could tell me what, exactly, the issue is, we can attempt to deal with it.”

Hairu started at his firm tone before straightening. “Okay. Well, my unit was sent to evacuate the lower Flower District during the attack. I was separated from them and ended up in one of the markets. It had been destroyed and was deserted except for two civilians.”

Fugaku gestured for him to continue when he paused, eyes far away as though lost in memory. He jolted and somehow turned an even deeper red. Fugaku was both impatient and intrigued. It was odd for a junior officer to bypass his commanding officer and come directly to the Chief of Police, which hinted at some inner steel despite his self-consciousness.

“R-right. It was a woman and her daughter. The woman had been trapped under some debris, though she was alive. She had a lily tattoo on her neck and was wearing the kimono style that is favored by, um...” Hairu cleared his throat and looked at the wall.

“By prostitutes,” Fugaku supplied calmly and Hairu made an odd squeaking sound in the back of his throat. “The Lily is the mark of highly-trained and sought after companions. Last I heard there were only two in the village.”

“Ah, yes, well. The little girl was upset, of course. She was wearing similar attire, though no tattoo, and was too young to be legally a - um, prostitute. She also called the woman mother.”

“It’s not unusual to see an accidental pregnancy in a brothel, though the Lilies are generally more careful,” Fugaku said. “I doubt you have to worry about a child brought up in a House that can afford a Lily being subjected to abuse at a young age.”

Fugaku would burn them to the ground if they tried, and they all knew it. Oh, it happened, rarely, but he made quite the example out of the perpetrators whenever it did. He regularly sent in undercover agents to ensure that all practices in such places were above board. Still, he wondered if it was the concern of abuse of children that had brought Hairu to him. It didn’t quite fit - why not go directly to Itsuki with his suspicions?

“Oh, no, sir, the way the two were interacting, it was obvious the mother loves her too much for her to do that.”

Fugaku nodded, the worry that had tightened his chest dissipating. He came across the darker parts of humanity more often than most, it was the nature of his job, but those cases were always difficult to shake. “Then what, exactly, is the issue?”

Hairu ran a hand through his hair. “The girl. She was upset - obviously. There were dead people around her and a battle going on, and her mother was trapped.”

“Yes, I would assume so.”

Hairu looked up and, for the first time during the conversation, met his gaze. Fugaku was a little surprised at his calm, serious mein. “She had activated the Sharingan. Her eyes were red and had a clear tomoe in each.”

Silence met his proclamation while Fugaku took that in. It happened sometimes, of course, that an Uchiha or Hyuuga child was created out of wedlock. These situations were always swiftly corrected, either through marriage or the transference of custody. They could not have untrained doujutsu holders running about unprotected, after all. It was village law that the parents declare the possibility of a doujutsu holder immediately in those cases.

“I see,” Fugaku said.

“I freed the mother and knocked the girl out to deactivate the Sharingan before taking them both to the shelter. I was needed back with my unit, so I instructed the mother to come forward after the attack was over and left.”

“But she never did.”

“No.” Hairu sighed. “I waited a week, then I started looking for them myself. Once I found them, I watched them. I was worried that I - I don’t know, that I was seeing things. Exposure to bijuu chakra can do strange things to a person, especially someone with less power like myself.”

Fugaku was reluctantly impressed when he seemed unbothered by the admission. Pride was a flaw - a sometimes fatal one - that most Uchiha fell into too easily. “I am guessing it was not, since you are here.”

“No. I saw her activate again.”

Fugaku sat up, alarmed. “Who else -”

“No one.” Hairu winced, probably realizing he’d just cut off his boss and the head of his clan, but Fugaku waved that away. They had more important things to worry about, like the safety of a small child. There were those, both in and out of the village, who would take her and use her to their purposes without second thought or remorse.

“She was alone, practicing, I think. Anyway. Her name is Murai Naoko. Her mother is one of the top tier women at Fuma House. She goes by Kiku, though I doubt it’s her original name. No father in the picture. From what I can tell, Naoko does domestic chores for the House, though...well, I think the madame is subtly training her for the life. When her mother is otherwise busy.”

Fugaku’s eyes narrowed. “Explain.”

“Nothing physical. Just teaching her proper manners, tea ceremonies, personal care and how to speak to men to make them feel special.”

Fugaku pressed his lips together. This was a complication he did not need in his life. Yet it was one that he could not avoid. “I’m assuming you’ve told no one.”

“No, sir. I understand the danger the girl is in until we get this sorted. It’s not that I don’t trust my captain,” he rushed to add, and Fugaku held up a hand.

“You did the right thing. I ask that you keep this between us. I’ll deal with it immediately.”

“Of course, Lord Uchiha.” Hairu seemed more relieved at the lack of censure than happy for the praise. 

“I want you to go and keep an eye on her, but don’t be obvious about it. Stay until I come to you.”

He wrote a note in perfect, elegant scrawl and handed it to Hairu. “Give this to Itsuki. Tell him I waylaid you and asked you to run some errands for me.”

Hairu blinked down at the paper. “Y-yes sir. Thank you, sir.” He hesitated before handing over his own slip of paper. "Their address."

Fugaku accepted it, then stood and made his way to the door, Hairu scrambling to his feet to follow. He paused before opening it. “And Hairu. Work on your communication skills.”

He swept out of the room and held a hand up to his assistant, Reo, who had approached him eagerly. Ready to hand over a large to-do list, no doubt. “Not now. Something has come up that I must attend to.”

Reo was obviously put out but didn’t complain. He just bowed and went back to his desk. Fugaku’s lips twitched at his sulking, but he didn’t comment. He inclined his head in response to the various greetings he received as he made his way through the open space that contained desks and bustling officers from multiple departments.

The moment he left the building, however, the friendliness of those around him faded. There was an iciness in the gazes of the villagers, a distrust that had been growing steadily since the Kyuubi attack a month ago. Despite the Godaime’s obvious attempts at showing his trust, things only seemed to be getting worse.

His clan members were becoming uneasy, bitterness over their treatment already starting to fester. Fugaku had no idea how to change it, other than encouraging them to remain professional and above reproach. He could only hope the anger would pass - on both sides.

He entered the administration building just as Hyuuga Hiashi was leaving it. Hiashi nodded at him and held the door. “Uchiha,” he greeted.

“Hyuuga.”

Hiashi was not one of the people who had started looking at Fugaku with suspicion. He certainly didn’t like him any more than he had before the attack, but he didn’t treat him like a traitor. His clan members seemed to be following his lead, as they did in most things, which was something.

The Nara clan had also remained neutral. Unlike the Hyuuga, Fugaku didn’t think it was simply about following their clan head and former clan head’s example, though that was probably part of it. They were just a clan that always held things close to their chests and were too shrewd to be taken in by rumor, for the most part.

If they suspected him, Fugaku probably wouldn’t know about it until he was looking death in the eyes. ‘Never cross a Nara’ was a saying for a reason. He was fairly certain it was coined by Senju Tobirama himself.

He made his way up the stairs and into the waiting room outside the Hokage’s office. Genma and Raido were on either side of the door, postures deceptively bored. Yamanaka Aska was at his desk, reading through a thick file and marking it with a bright red pen.

“What can I do for you, Lord Fugaku?” he asked without looking up.

“I’m afraid an urgent matter has come up that I must speak to the Hokage about if he is available.”

Aska finally glanced up, and he seemed less than impressed. “Define urgent.”

Fugaku paused. He had already heard somewhat amusing stories about Aska’s gatekeeping skills and he knew that angering him would be a tactical error, so he answered as honestly as he could. “A life could be put into danger if it is not dealt with promptly. But it could probably wait a few hours.”

He felt Genma and Raido’s attention keenly but kept his gaze on Aska, who narrowed his eyes before nodding. “Alright. Genma, will you check on Lord Shikaku? Let him know he has an urgent visitor?”

Fugaku bowed his head slightly. “Thank you for your assistance.”

Aska hummed, unimpressed, and went back to his paperwork. Fugaku wondered absently what limb he’d be required to give up to get an assistant like Aska for himself. Genma had disappeared into the office and came back out a moment later.

“He’ll see you now,” he said around his senbon.

“Thank you.” Fugaku entered the office, shutting the door lightly behind him before turning to take in his Hokage.

He hadn’t seen him since the clan meeting three weeks ago. He looked oddly at home behind his desk in a way Fugaku never would have guessed possible. He was slumped, eyelids heavy but gaze sharp, hair as perfect as always. Fugaku had seen Shikaku after bloody, muddy, desperate battles and not once had a hair been out of place.

Many jounin had hypothesized that it might be some sort of jutsu. Fugaku was of the opinion that it was a Nara hair care product that was just as superior as most of the things the clan bothered to produce. He was wearing the ugly deerskin vest that somehow managed to simply add fierceness to him and he had deep bags under his eyes. He kept his power tucked in and hidden away, but he still gave off the impression of controlling the room. It had made him an effective Jounin Commander and was translating just as well in his new office.

“Fugaku,” he said and stood, raising his arms in a stretch that ended in a series of painful-sounding pops. “I’m glad you stopped by. I was hoping to speak with you this week.”

“Shikaku,” he greeted, interest raised. “You need my assistance with something?”

Shikaku flashed a grin at him. “I do. An honest-to-god favor, in fact. Come on, sit down, I’ll ask Aska to bring some tea. How’s your family?”

Fugaku sat and raised a brow at Shikaku’s familiar manner. It was how he’d always treated him, due to their history as reluctant allies who were united in their determination to support Minato. Somehow, he’d expected it to change with Shikaku’s appointment. He supposed he should have known better. “Mikoto is well, as is Sasuke. You may have heard that Itachi started training with his cousin, Shisui.”

“Shisui’s a strong shinobi, it’s impressive that he drew his attention. You must be proud.” He opened the door. “Aska. Could we have some tea? Thanks.” He left the door open and crossed the office to sit across from him. Then he leaned back, posture just as indolent as ever.

“I am,” Fugaku said truthfully. “You haven’t changed much since taking the hat.”

Shikaku’s lips turned up on one side. “We are who we are. Perhaps more so in positions of high responsibility, our true selves tend to shine through.”

Fugaku nodded. Sometimes he felt ground down to the bare essentials of what he was by his duty. It was exhausting. “I am glad to see that your true self is the one I have always known.”

Shikaku’s brow furrowed and he studied him before he nodded once, slowly. “A high compliment. Thank you.”

Fugaku looked away from his shrewd gaze and changed the subject back to their families until Aska returned with the tea and an assortment of cookies. He murmured a thank you before pouring himself and Shikaku a cup.

“So,” Shikaku said once the door was closed. “Genma said you had a life-or-death situation on your hands. You don’t look like we need to run out and start fighting off enemies right this moment, so I assume we aren’t under attack?”

Fugaku raised a brow. “No. It’s urgent, but not that urgent.” He didn’t waste any time telling Shikaku what Hairu had told him. It hit him as he finished his story how different things could have been for him had Minato not appointed Shikaku his successor.

There were not many people in the village Fugaku trusted with the lives of his clan, but Shikaku was one of them. He was merciless when he needed to be, but Fugaku knew he wouldn’t endanger a child, even if he was hiding away suspicions of the Uchiha clan’s loyalty like many others in the village.

No, if he thought Fugaku or any of the elders were traitors, he would deal with them directly and decisively. That, at least, he could trust.

Shikaku sat back when he was done and laced his hands together in front of his lips. His eyes were far away, obviously thinking through the situation. “I see why you’ve come to me. You can’t very well march in and take the child of a Lily, not with public opinion already so soured against you.”

Lilies were almost revered, because they did much more than sell their bodies for money. They were singers, dancers, trained in the art of empathy. They brought joy to anybody close to them. They were taught to defend themselves, as well, and often used it to protect those around them - mostly civilians.

Those upper echelon men and women who could afford their services often fell in love with them, too. Though a trademark of a Lily is that they would not be tied down by any one person, their admirers were always many and varied.

“Yes,” Fugaku said, rueful. “Perhaps we can trade a favor for a favor. You’re well-liked and trusted by the community. I was hoping you would come with me as a mediator, and as extra incentive to play nice.”

Shikaku’s lips turned up. “Fugaku, are you asking me to go to a brothel with you? How scandalous.”

Fugaku sighed. He’d hoped Shikaku’s propensity to mess with people would have left him when he took the hat. “No. I thought we might visit them at their home. The officer who informed me of the situation says it was unharmed in the attack. The mother, Kiku, broke her leg and is not yet healed enough to return to work.”

Shikaku bit down on a cookie - his fourth since the tea tray was delivered - and chewed thoughtfully.”You might want to hear my favor before we agree on a trade.”

“Is it anything like the favor you recently asked of Hyuuga Hiashi?”

Shikaku’s lips twitched, though Fugaku wasn’t sure what he could possibly think was so amusing. Not that he’d ever say it out loud, but one of his clan members would have done just as well in the position. Though he could grudgingly admit that the Byakugan was quite useful for spotting threats before they arrived.

“Similar, but it’s not as personal in nature. At least, not on my end.”

Fugaku let some of his wariness show. There were already people out there with their eyes trained on Itachi. His potential was clear to anybody who looked at him. Was Shikaku one of the many who would attempt to twist his son into something useful to them?

Shikaku waved his hand through the air. “It’s not what you’re thinking.” He stood and shuffled over to his desk, mumbling to himself as he sorted through some folders. “Ah. Here it is.”

Fugaku set his tea down when he came back and accepted the folder from him. It was a personnel file with Mikoto’s name clearly printed on the front. “My wife is retired.”

“Yeah, I know.” Shikaku plopped down on the couch. “And I respect that, Fugaku, you know Yoshino left active duty to take care of the boys and the day-to-day issues in the clan. I’m not asking Mikoto to start taking missions again.”

“Then what are you asking?”

Shikaku motioned for him to open the file. “Mikoto was a jounin before she retired. She specialized in genjutsu, shurikenjutsu, and her focus was in security methodologies, assassination, and acquisition.”

Fugaku looked down at the file - it wasn’t anything he didn’t know. Most of Mikoto’s missions involved getting into secure locations to take or kill something, or setting up security in a way that would ensure even she couldn’t get through it. He wondered if Shikaku was going to ask her to look over the house that was currently being built a block away by Nara contractors for his family.

“We had a major security breach in the village this month,” Shikaku said bluntly and Fugaku stiffened.

“Why have I not heard of this?”

“Because nobody has, outside of the people who were there, for reasons I’m not going to go into. Suffice it to say, that information doesn’t leave this office.”

“Yes, Lord Hokage,” Fugaku murmured, though he was burning to know more. He supposed that level of trust was too much to ask, as things stood.

Shikaku studied his expression and sighed, then looked up at the ceiling. “I was attacked in an effort to incite war, that’s all you need to know.”

Alarm crackled up his spine and his right hand - his sword hand - jerked. Shikaku saw the loss of control, he was sure, but the threat of war so soon after the last ended was a heady one. Especially since their relations with Cloud and Iwa were murky at best. It made his next words easy to speak and full of conviction. “What do you need?”

“I’m creating a Securities Team to head up an overhaul of Konoha’s security from the ground up. I want Mikoto to lead it.”

Fugaku was starting to regret coming to Shikaku. It had been a long time since a conversation had left him feeling so off-balance. Fugaku looked down at the file, then back at Shikaku. “I’ll have to speak with her about it before I give a yes or no.”

“Alright. It’s part-time. Aksa has a description of duties, somewhere. I’ll have him send it over.” He clapped his hands together and stood. “I guess we should go take care of your newest issue.”

Fugaku closed the file and set it on the table. “I haven’t yet delivered on my favor.”

Shikaku’s unimpressed stare stopped him before he could stand. “First of all, your willingness to talk to Mikoto and clear her for the role is your favor, whether she says yes or no. I know even part-time will be difficult for her to spare. Secondly, it’s my job as your Hokage to help you ensure the safety and well-being of your clan members.”

The speech was something he would expect Minato to say, and the reminder of his dead friend stung. “You sound like him, when you say things like that.”

Shikaku looked down and his lips twisted on one side. “That might be the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me, Fugaku.” Then he took a breath and the moment passed. “Come on, then. I have a meeting in two hours I can’t miss.”

000

Kiku was not a woman who was prone to anxiety or panic, but the past month had not been an easy one. She’d lived through an attack by a monster from legend and had a wall dropped on her. She’d spent almost an hour in immense pain, trying to convince the person she loved most in this life to leave her behind.

The worst had been when her daughter - her sweet Naoko - had activated the doujutsu passed to her by her father. Kiku had hoped that it would never happen, that she would never have to face turning her daughter over to the clan of her dead lover.

The moment the MPF officer had arrived, however, she had known her secret was out. It was only a matter of time before somebody came for Naoko. Before they discovered that Kiku had broken village law by not revealing her lineage.

But then a full month had passed, and though she felt guilty for the relief that came with the thought, she wondered if their savior had been killed after taking them to the shelter. Not that she thought she could get out of bringing Naoko to their attention now that she wielded the Sharingan, but now maybe she could avoid jail or sanctions that would pull her even further from Naoko’s side.

So when Kiku opened her door and felt a moment of uncharacteristic panic threaten to break through her usual calm demeanor, she didn’t think anybody would blame her. It was more than a little alarming to find not only the head of the Uchiha clan on her front steps, but the Hokage as well.

A Lily was always put together, always gracious and calm under pressure, so she only paused for a few seconds before bowing. “Lord Godaime, Lord Uchiha. What an honor. Please, come in.” If she felt a little faint, well, she liked to think she hid it well, even from these two men.

The Hokage’s brow lifted, though he didn’t remove his hands from his pockets or straighten from his slouch. Uchiha Fugaku inclined his head. “Thank you, Ms. Murai.”

Kiku knew he called her by her name before they did introductions to throw her off - _we know everything about you, we have the upper hand -_ and it worked. Still, her mask did not falter.

She turned and made her way towards her receiving room. Kiku had started taking clients at her home, as she was unable to travel to the brothel with her broken leg. It had brought some disturbing things to light. Such as the greedy way some of her clients looked at her daughter. One had even gone as far as to ask if she’d be apprenticing Naoko and if he could assist in her training when the time came. He had heard rumors that would be the case, and that such an honor would be for sale as soon as Naoko was of legal age. Rumors that Kiku discovered after some gentle digging had originated from the madame of her brothel.

Kiku did not plan on returning once she was recovered, but still, she was worried for her daughter. Worried enough that she had started to think that Naoko’s Sharingan could be a blessing as well as a curse. Kiku couldn’t shield her from the more powerful people that might show interest in a well-trained, personal mistress raised by a Lily. Uchiha Fugaku, however, could.

“Call me Kiku. Please, sit down. I’m afraid it will take me a moment to make your tea with my injury, and I’ll need help carrying the tray.” She ducked her head, conveying the proper embarrassment for her inability to perform to her usual standards.

“It’s no problem, Kiku. Feel free to call out when you’re ready.” Nobody tried to suggest they forego the tea. She’d have to pretend to be humiliated and upset by her inability to serve them. 

She made her way to the kitchen. She’d figured out how to maneuver around with the huge cast and two crutches fairly quickly. It was surprising how many of her clients were fine with her inability to execute her usual duties. Some, in fact, enjoyed the chance to act the caretaker. At least her finances weren’t suffering.

While the water heated she thought through possible ways this conversation could go. Her hands were steady and she did not sweat, but she still felt terror clawing at her throat, struggling to come out in a scream. It was a selfish thought under the circumstances, perhaps, but to lose Naoko would be to lose all the joy in her life.

The lives of Lilies were romanticized, just as those of shinobi were. Kiku did not regret her position in life, but she knew that it took something from her, the constant masks. Naoko was the only real thing she had. Kiku took a slow, deep breath. She wasn’t without weapons, in this. She would use them all - all of her tricks and connections and deadly charm - to keep at least a small part of her daughter.

“The tea is ready,” she said, not bothering to raise her voice. She was well aware of how attuned a shinobi’s senses were.

To her surprise, it was Nara Shikaku who came in to help her. She took the opportunity to study him from under her lashes. Kiku had never seen him up close. He moved with a sort of unconcerned grace that was as dangerous as it was annoying to someone stuck in a cast.

He was a man who didn’t hide behind ceremony. No - he hid behind the sleepy eyes, his famous deerskin vest, and the bored mein that still managed to tug at her awareness. A chill ran down Kiku’s spine when he lifted the tray and prompted her to walk ahead of him with a nod.

For all her high-powered clients, she was sure she had never been a room with anybody as dangerous as this man. The almost amused glint to his eyes told her that she wasn’t fooling him with her act. He knew exactly how off-balance she was.

She met his gaze for a count of five. He tipped his head to the side and after a moment he lifted one shoulder in a shrug and his lips pulled up. “I wouldn’t give in to despair or sharpen your knives quite yet, Kiku,” he murmured.

He turned away and she let out a breath that was admittedly a little shaky before turning and making her way to the receiving room. Fugaku’s eyes flicked from her to the Hokage when they entered but he didn’t say anything.

Kiku poured the tea and asked all the right questions after they were seated, but her mind was racing. Could the Hokage’s words mean what she thought they did?

“I was hoping your daughter would be here, Kiku,” Fugaku said when the conversation lulled.

She set her tea down carefully, aware that they were now entering murky waters. “My Naoko is at school. The building was destroyed, but the school set up a tent to use for lessons.”

The Hokage’s lips twitched up at her possessive pronoun and she lifted her chin. Yes, she’d done it on purpose. Of course, she had.

“I see. Is she a good student?” Kiku eyed Fugaku, but he appeared to be legitimately interested.

“She is. Her teachers tell me she’s clever, not that I needed their words to know that. She is...very special.” Kiku didn’t hide her pride.

“Uchiha children do tend to be exceptional. The fact that she has such an accomplished mother must make her that much more remarkable.”

Kiku swallowed. There it was. Fugaku sipped his tea and the Hokage looked at him in obvious amusement. Kiku didn’t let the silence linger for long. “Naoko’s accomplishments are her own,” she demurred. “But thank you for the kind words, Lord Uchiha.”

Shikaku sighed. “If I leave this conversation to you two, we’ll talk around it all day. Kiku, I’m here to act as a mediator while we decide how to handle this situation. I think we can all agree that we can start with the questions: who is Naoko’s father, and why did you hide her existence from her clan?”

Kiku allowed herself two breaths before answering. “Her father was a client, which means I cannot reveal his identity.” It was partially true. He had started as a simple client. Then Kiku had broken the most important rule of a Lily and taken him as a lover in truth.

She held up a hand when Fugaku opened his mouth to protest. “I can tell you that he’s dead. He did not return from one of his missions.”

Fugaku paused, probably going through the long list of clan members who would fit that description. “I see.”

“Yes. As for the other.” Kiku looked down. “I was pregnant when he died. I never got to tell him, so you don’t need to worry about the honor of one of your clan members - he did not hide it from you. I suppose my reason for silence was pure selfishness. I wanted to keep Naoko for myself, and keep her safe from the life she would face as a kunoichi.”

“And now?” The Hokage’s tone was surprisingly gentle.

“Now, I can only hope for the best. I wanted to give her a life of choices. It is not something I was lucky enough to have. However, it has recently come to my attention that my...position has drawn unwanted interest to her.”

Kiku didn’t wince when a deadly pall fell over the room, but it was a close thing. She kept her hands folded primly in her lap while both the Hokage and Fugaku stared at her with cold, assessing gazes. Fugaku’s tone was low and promised death. “Explain.”

“Nothing untoward has happened. It is only whispers, pointed comments from clients and the madame of the brothel, which has prompted my resignation. I am aware that I am quite the commodity. I’m afraid others are already hoping my daughter will be, as well, and I’m not sure I can keep her safe from it.”

Both men relaxed and exchanged a look. “Nobody can force a woman into prostitution in Konoha.” Fugaku’s tone was icy, and his expression could have been carved from stone.

Kiku sniffed. Of course, a man of his position would have a hard time understanding that there were different ways of forcing a woman, not all of them easy to prove. “No. But she could easily be convinced or coerced into it. I am lucky, in that she holds me in the highest esteem. I know she does not want to follow in my footsteps, but she holds no judgment for me. She really is quite exceptional, as you said. That lack of judgment, however, leaves her vulnerable.”

“I’m sure you’ve already realized this, but nobody will try such machinations if she joins the Uchiha clan.” Fugaku said each word as though he was plucking them carefully from his mind.

Kiku realized that he was well aware of the weapons she could wield against him. Especially with the rumors and unease currently surrounding his clan. Not that she’d want to use them if she could avoid it. It would involve owing the same people who had set their sights on her Naoko.

“Yes. Though her choices would be just as limited with your clan as they would with me. She would just be a different kind of commodity.” Kiku closed her eyes and when she opened them, she let them see her fear.

The Hokage hummed. “Yes, and no. My son will be a shinobi. This is a given. He is the son of the Hokage and from the head family of the Nara clan. Yet, what kind of shinobi - what kind of man - he will be lies solely upon his shoulders.”

Kiku studied him and he returned her gaze steadily. “Doesn’t it terrify you? Knowing the dangers he’ll face?”

“It does. All I can do is make sure he’s well-prepared.”

“Kiku,” Fugaku cut in. “Naoko already faces danger, just because of what she is. I understand that being a part of the clan can be stifling. However, it also represents safety. If somebody attacks her, they are risking the wrath of the Uchiha.”

“No small thing,” Kiku murmured.

“No.”

Kiku took a deep breath. “And what will be done with me? Will she be taken from me and given to a family of your choosing? Will you punish me for keeping my silence on her lineage?” It was said with perfect diction, voice respectful, head bowed.

Yet if they tried to take Naoko from her, that would change. She would show her claws, and she would draw blood, even if she knew she would not come out the winner. What would she have to lose at that point, anyway?

“Ah. Kiku, please don’t worry yourself about that,” the Hokage said. When she glanced up he was leaning back on the couch, eyes half-lidded and teacup resting on his chest. Kiku found his nonchalance annoying. They were discussing her life, her freedom, and he seemed ready for a nap.

The exasperated look, the most emotion he’d shown since they arrived, that Fugaku sent him proved he was thinking something similar. He turned to Kiku. “I already pleaded your case with the Hokage. He’s agreed that punishing a mother for attempting to protect her daughter would be...unnecessary.”

Shikaku nodded and sipped his drink. “Yes. Though, I hope you understand that I expect you to follow the laws of Konoha quite stringently after this.” Even sprawled out as he was, the look he sent her, half-warning and half-censure, sent those same chills she’d felt in the kitchen moving through her again.

“Yes, Lord Hokage.”

“As for what happens next. She’ll need to attend the Academy, starting immediately. She’s a few years behind, but I’m hoping she’ll be able to catch up. The worst case scenario is that she will graduate a few years later than most children,” Fugaku said. “I will also expect Naoko to move into a house within the Uchiha compound, of course, so the clan can protect her until she’s well-trained enough to keep her Sharingan secure. I thought the best solution would be for both of you to move there.”

Kiku froze. That was...not what she had expected. “You’re inviting a prostitute to live with your clan.” She couldn’t quite hide her disbelief. She was well aware of how the more traditional citizens of the village felt about people in her profession.

Fugaku shrugged. “You’re a Lily, which will afford you some respect. I won’t lie, I doubt you will ever be fully accepted, but you won’t be harassed, either.”

No, she didn’t think she would. They were much too self-contained a people for that. “I want the house to be towards the edge of the compound, then.”

“That is probably a good idea if you’re going to continue working in the lower districts. It will make for less travel.”

She wanted to demand that Fugaku give Naoko the freedoms in her life that she deserved, that Kiku had always wanted for her. She knew better, however, than to ask for something she couldn’t have. That would just put her in a position of weakness. The small bit of privacy and the easy access to the rest of the world that a house towards the edge of the compound would afford would have to do.

Her Naoko would have to fight her own battles within the clan. Luckily, Kiku had a few tricks she could teach her, things that would help her keep her head above water.

Shikaku sat up and nodded. “Great. Well, I actually have a meeting with several entitled people with strong opinions to get to. Kiku, I wish you and little Naoko luck. I know Fugaku will take good care of you. He’s well-known for being a reliable and strong clan leader.” He stood and yawned, then pushed his hands in his pockets. “I’ll leave you to discuss the details.”

Before she could say goodbye he’d blurred away. A muscle in Fugaku’s cheek tightened but he didn’t say anything while Kiku stared at the place the Hokage had been. It was a smart move, bringing him along. Kiku was a lot less likely to try and cause trouble after meeting that man. He was not, she thought, somebody she’d want to be on the wrong side of, for all that he was ten years her junior.

Anything she might have said was cut off by the sound of the front door opening. “Mama! Mama, Jaina tried to put mud in my hair again, but I did what you suggested and she - oh.”

Kiku turned and smiled at Naoko. Her hair had come partially out of its braid, and her dark eyes were wide and focused on Fugaku. Other than that small detail she was well put together in her skirt and button-up shirt. Kiku had long since taught her that the way she comported herself was an important part of how she’d be treated by the outside world.

Naoko bowed after her eyes went to the Uchiwa fan on Fugaku’s shirt. “Hello, sir. Please forgive my disruption.”

“Naoko, darling, come here.” Kiku held out her hand and felt a swell of pride when Naoko came to her without hesitation, hands folded in front of her and expression pleasant.

She could see she was afraid by the tremble in her hands, and of course Fugaku would see it, as well, but still. Most eleven-year-olds in her situation would probably cry. Kiku did not believe in lying to her daughter - not when she was the only person she could be true to - and had told her of her lineage. So they had both known what it meant that day when the village was on fire and Naoko’s eyes had bled to red. Their life as they knew it was going to end. They had been living on borrowed time ever since.

“Naoko, this is Uchiha Fugaku. He’s come to invite us to live with his clan.”

Naoko looked over at her, hope painfully apparent, before she turned back and bowed. It was perfect - not too high and not too low - and when she straightened her expression wasn’t quite blank. She never had been a natural at keeping her thoughts from her face. “It’s nice to meet you, Lord Uchiha. Will you allow me to pour you more tea?”

Satisfaction was a warm weight in Kiku’s chest when Fugaku looked reluctantly impressed. Naoko may be the daughter of somebody his clan would find distasteful, but nothing Naoko herself did would bring him shame. Her daughter’s clan would accept her one day. Kiku would make sure of it.

000

Shikaku rubbed a hand down his face and his gaze went to the now-empty liquor cabinet across the room, settling there only for a moment. Inoichi and Ensui sat across from him, expressions just as grim as he was feeling.

“I don’t understand. Public opinion should be leveling out, not getting worse.”

Inoichi leaned forward and sighed. “That’s what I expected, as well. I thought there would be a few dissenters, maybe some small instances of prejudice, but the outcry against both the Uchiha and Naruto is only increasing.”

“Do you think it’s a lack of trust in my leadership?”

Ensui and Inoichi both shook their heads, though it was Inoichi who spoke. “I know Lord Sarutobi has been doing his best to publicly support keeping the Uchiha integrated with the village. And he’s gone out to lunch a few times with Yoshino and the boys. That would have taken care of most of it if that were the problem.”

Shikaku glanced at Ensui, whose lips were pressed together. A sure sign he was pissed off. “You think it’s sabotage.”

“Yeah. I’ve been trying to figure out where some of these rumors and opinions are originating and I can’t find their source. If it was just normal people, that wouldn’t be the case.”

“Right. So what you’re saying is, we’ve got some black ops members going off the rails and sowing dissent,” Shikaku said in a flat tone.

“Can’t imagine who it could be.” Inoichi rolled his eyes, then tapped his fingers on the table. “Explain to me again why we can’t just kill him? It’s obvious he’s still got active Root agents he’s hiding from you.”

Shikaku sat back and closed his eyes. “And then what? We’ll have a group of unidentified agents running around doing god knows what, and no idea what things he has and hasn’t been up to.”

“I could interrogate him first.” Shikaku sat up and looked at Inoichi.

The lines of his face were harsh in the lamplight of Shikaku’s office and his eyes were blank and cold. Ruthless. Shikaku recognized that expression from every mission or battle that had forced them to set aside their humanity to get through what needed to be done.

He spoke carefully. “Konoha needs time to heal before I can do something like that. And Ensui and I need time to unravel his network, or we’ll have the same issues we do now with no idea who's pulling the strings.”

Inoichi sighed, and as the air left his lungs, his expression thawed. The tension left Shikaku’s shoulders in response. Inoichi was one of his guiding lights, a veritable fountain of brusque common sense and the type of upfront intelligence that could cut situations down to their base issues. Shikaku really needed him to not break down.

“Right. Ensui, anything new?”

Ensui was looking between the two of them, brow furrowed. Shikaku thought he had probably never seen Inoichi like that before. He had a feeling they’d see it again before this was over. “Yeah. I think I’ve got a few potential people that he didn’t turn over to you. I put together profiles on them so that we’d have an idea of what it would look like to take them out. I’m going to work on...clearing out the infestation.”

Shikaku knew that Ensui didn’t mind his job as an assassin. He looked at it pragmatically. Sometimes, Konoha needed people to die, and he was fine with being the man who made it happen. He was good at it, had created techniques for the purpose of killing quietly and efficiently. His nickname was coined from the most infamous of those techniques: the Death Shroud.

Still, it made him ache for the kid that he once caught dancing in front of the mirror in leather pants and a see-through mesh shirt before his first foray into dating. He felt like a failure. As the older brother, he should be protecting Ensui from the world, not relying on him to help him clean it up.

“Stop.” Ensui’s tone was flat and Shikaku looked over at his unimpressed expression. “You’re making your tragic, ‘why am I so terrible at everything’ face. I’m a grown-ass man and I don’t mind killing off assholes who are trying to destroy everything we’ve worked for. So let me do it.”

“He’s got a point,” Inoichi added unhelpfully and Shikaku rolled his eyes.

“Alright, alright. So, Ensui will concentrate on locating and disposing of hidden Root members that he doesn’t think are suited for rehabilitation.”

“Right. And I identified three moles in ANBU from my interrogations,” Inoichi added.

“You’re sure they don’t know you figured them out?”

Inoichi looked comically affronted that Shikaku would dare to question his ability as an interrogator, which of course had been the point. “Yes,” he said and sniffed. Cute.

“Alright. Ensui. Let’s have some fun with them, hm?”

Ensui returned his sharp grin. “Sure thing, big brother. I’ll have Danzo and his minions chasing their tails in no time.”

“Okay. How’s the rehabilitation going with the Root members Danzo relinquished?” In the end, he had handed over everybody that Hiruzen had known about plus two. The total number had been seven, with four of them falling under the age of seventeen. Root had a low life expectancy. Still, Ensui was fairly certain Danzo had faked the death of more than a few of them so that he could keep them under his personal purview.

Inoichi’s lips pressed together so hard the skin around them turned white and Ensui’s fist clenched on his thigh. “As well as can be expected. They’re...I don’t know, Shikaku. I don’t know if any of them will even be able to function outside of ANBU.”

“There are a few children that are responding well to treatment,” Inoichi said in a soft tone. “The one that Lord Sarutobi found in Orochimaru’s lab - formerly Kinoe, now Tenzo - he’s doing well. I honestly think it’s due to Ensui’s influence.”

“Ah, well. He’s pretty easy, honestly. Kind of eager to please. I swear, Shikaku, all it takes is a word of praise and he acts like I’m some sort of saint. Fucking Danzo treated them like they weren’t even people.” Ensui’s nostrils flared and Shikaku wondered if Yoshino’s tea set was about to end up shattered against the wall. He hoped not, he was already in hot water for tracking mud into the house that morning. “When it’s time, I want to do it.” Shikaku met Ensui’s gaze, took in the assured way he was holding himself. “I want to kill him.”

Shikaku tilted his head to the side. He had been removed from the day-to-day cluster that was dealing with the seven broken and highly-trained men and women from Root. Ensui had to look it in the face every day. “We’ll do it together. If I can give you the final blow without endangering you, it’s yours.” Ensui may be twenty-two, but he was still his little brother. He’d protect him where he could.

“Alright.” Ensui relaxed. “Any news from our, uh, contacts?”

Inoichi rolled his eyes. “That’s my cue. Shikaku, I’ll see you at the meeting with the clan heads tomorrow. I’m also going to send out some of my people to do damage control on the Naruto and Uchiha situations.”

“Sabotage the saboteurs?”

“Something like that. I don’t know what good it will do, though.”

“Eh, any little bit helps. Thanks, Inoichi.”

Inoichi stopped next to him and squeezed his shoulder. “Anytime, anything you need. Chouza and I are here.”

Shikaku patted his hand. “I know. I’m grateful.”

When the door closed behind him Ensui flopped over on the couch, bringing his feet up to rest on the arm. “You’re lucky to have him.” He sounded wistful, and Shikaku knew he was probably thinking of the third member of his and Yoshino's own genin team, who had died almost eight years ago.

“I know it. So. Yen and Bono said Danzo’s been meeting with Homura and Koharu a lot lately, along with a few of the civilian representatives. He’s been careful with his privacy seals, though.”

“Eh, bet that’s where the ‘Kyuubi can bust out of the tiny innocent baby and destroy our livelihoods at any time’ panic is coming from.”

“Part of it, yes. I’m sure he’s at least helping them along. Dammit.”

“Yeah. Well, hopefully when everybody sees that it’s not actually happening, they’ll calm down.” Ensui didn’t sound any more convinced than Shikaku was feeling.

“Uh huh. What about your summons? Any more snake sightings?”

“Nah. They let me know when a few Cloud shinobi were sniffing around, though. Monkey and I took care of them.”

“That’s the third time this month.”

“Mm-hm. Hopefully, Mikoto, Saori, and Motoro can set up better security than our mole alert system.”

Shikaku grinned. Before he could respond there was a knock on the door and Yoshino entered, holding a tray overflowing with food. “Hey. You two missed dinner,” she said and set it on the table. Ensui didn’t bother sitting up before grabbing an eggroll and stuffing it into his mouth.

“Ensui. You’ll choke,” she scolded, then laughed when Shikaku grabbed her and pulled her onto his lap. She sighed but smiled at him and rearranged herself so that she was sitting sideways and leaning against the curve of the chair.

He wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her temple. “The boys are asleep?”

“Yes. I think Shikamaru might be getting an ear infection. I put in some drops, but I’ll probably need to take him to the doctor tomorrow.”

He hummed and frowned. “Let me know. I’ll try and come along.”

“Alright,” she said in a soft tone, not arguing.

They both knew he’d show up if he could, and if he couldn’t then that was that. He had heard Shikamaru’s pitiful crying earlier, though, and resolved to go unless somebody was attacking or he saw an opportunity to trip Danzo while he was going down a flight of stairs. And then bash his head against them until he stopped breathing.

He was pulled from the pleasant daydream when Yoshino pressed a kiss to his lips. “Here, eat.”

She set a plate on her lap and he started in on the food with enthusiasm. Across from him, Ensui was attempting to lower a trail of noodles into his mouth from the chopsticks he was holding above him. Yoshino threw a cherry tomato into his open mouth and he choked and dropped the noodles onto his face.

Shikaku and Yoshino both laughed while Ensui sputtered and sat up, sending the noodles into his lap. “Yoshino, you are still just as much of a brat as you were when we were twelve,” he grumbled.

Yoshino popped a tomato between her lips and grinned. “Well, you’re just as easy of a mark as you were when we were twelve.” The two of them had bickered endlessly the first six months or so after they’d been put on the same genin team. Yoshino had almost always won their scuffles.

Ensui sulked and rubbed at his pants with a napkin he’d grabbed from the tray. “I’m an internationally feared assassin, you know. You should show some respect - woman, stop throwing tomatoes at me!”

Shikaku sat back and watched Yoshino and Ensui bicker. Darkness and a breakdown in his faith in humanity had been wrapping themselves around his heart lately. The blank, lifeless expressions that had been on the freed Root members’ faces haunted him and he’d started to doubt that the future he and Minato had dreamed of was possible.

Watching two of the people he loved most in the world throw food at each other and exchange good-natured insults went a long way towards restoring his faith. He could do this. He _would_ do this, no matter what the darker parts of the world tossed at him.

Shikamaru fell asleep on his chest later that night after waking up fussy and inconsolable until Shikaku had laid down with him. Love tightened his chest and made it difficult to breath when Shikamaru curled his chubby fist up next to his cheek and yawned.

His determination to make Minato’s dream a reality expanded and solidified. Shikaku knew he would not waver again. Shikamaru would grow up in a better world than the current one. There was no other option.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's been almost a year since Shikaku took the hat, and he had somehow expected things to start calming down. You'd really think he'd know better.

Kakashi crouched in a tree, watching his target closely. The man he was following owned the bait shop in the small village he was passing through, and Kakashi was determined to discover his secrets. 

His ANBU cloak was heavy with rain and the inside of his Hound mask was wet with condensation. It was barely pushing into September, but this high up in altitude the weather was already chilly.

Swan and Mouse had given him this side mission while they went off to assassinate a woman named Miyoko who was running a crime ring in Fire Country. The Godaime had finally gotten tired of the reports coming in about the activities of the rapidly growing crime syndicate, so their little team of three had been sent to deal with it. They’d been gone for a month, since before they could kill the woman they had to dismantle her network.

Leaving a vacuum that other crime lords would feel the need to fill was asking for trouble. Kakashi had noticed that about Nara Shikaku - he always thought through long-term consequences before taking action. Sometimes it seemed like he was ten steps ahead of everybody else. 

Kakashi flexed his fingers idly. He didn’t mind being sent off to do a ridiculous side mission, just like he didn’t mind when he had to perform assassinations. Kakashi didn’t care about much of anything, lately. It was better that way. Most days he felt like one large, gaping wound, his grief and regret taking up all his energy. 

He brought his attention back to his task when the portly man picked up the pitchfork that he’d carried with him out into the field. Kakashi wondered if it was somehow more effective in digging up worms than the trowels he and his team used.

It drove Mouse nuts that they had no clue what he did with all the worms. Kakashi was certain Swan felt the same way, but he never dropped his cold demeanor to deign to say so out loud. Still, he always listened closely when Mouse was listing off her theories.

Digging up worms was a more difficult project than Kakashi and his teammates anticipated. Mouse, as the only non-memorable person on their team while outside of uniform, had started making casual inquiries to fishermen about how one went about finding worms.

That’s how they’d discovered that there was a thing called ‘Worm Charming,’ though nobody in-village had known how it worked. When their current target ran off to the hills - literally - after she realized her network was being dismantled and she was probably next, it was just stupid luck that one of the most accomplished worm charmers in the country lived in a village along the way.

So here Kakashi was, watching a man collect worms while his partners did the real mission. The man lifted the pitchfork and slammed it into the ground. Kakashi leaned forward and uncovered his Sharingan. If there was a special trick to how the man dug, he didn’t want to miss it.

He gripped the handle with one hand and lifted the other, which was holding a stick. He then began to bang on the pitchfork. Kakashi sat back on his haunches. He hadn’t thought that anybody could surprise him after being on a team with Uchiha Obito. Apparently, he’d been wrong.

His Sharingan could see the vibrations moving through the handle and tongs of the pitchfork each time the stick struck it. The man moved down the length of the pitchfork until he was slamming his stick against the metal tongs. He started slapping them rapidly after that, and the vibrations increased.

He continued this for a few minutes and Kakashi watched, disbelieving, as worms began to wriggle out of the surrounding area. He had a sudden image of Swan banging a stick against a pitchfork, and for the first time in almost a year, humor bubbled up in his chest. 

Mouse would probably make a game out of it, just to see if she could get Swan’s right pinky to twitch, a sure sign that he was annoyed. Kakashi shook his head and watched for a few more minutes until the man stopped his banging and started to load the worms, along with some dirt, into a bucket.

Kakashi didn’t need to see that part - he was an expert at scooping worms into buckets by now. Mission completed, he left the worm charmer behind and started making his way towards the village that the soon-to-be-former crime lord was holed up in.

The day was gray and dreary and Kakashi’s moment of good humor faded. The last time he’d been in this section of Fire Country, it had been with Obito, Rin, and Minato, though it’d been at the height of summer. Obito had tried to convince Kakashi to put sunscreen on, claiming that the higher elevation made the sun stronger.

Kakashi had scoffed and refused, not wanting to show any weakness. By the time they’d finished the mission, his shoulders and the space around his eyes had been bright red and painful. He’d refused to let Rin heal him until Minato had turned his gentle smile on him after Obito left to scrounge up some meat for dinner.

“Kakashi, your team doesn’t like to see you in pain. Do it for me?” He’d given in and Rin had smiled widely at him and blushed while she rubbed salve on his burns. He’d never thanked her.

He’d never thanked Minato, either, for being there for him when nobody else was. He was just the uptight kid who made it clear that his teammates were disposable if it meant completing his mission. Why had he never told Minato how much he meant to him?

His hand clenched into a fist and he spent the rest of the run brooding over all his regrets. When he arrived at the village, he knew immediately that something was wrong. Swan and Mouse weren’t where they said they would be, for starters. 

The streets of the village were empty, despite it still being early evening. Something had happened to drive the villagers inside. Kakashi crept through the trees, senses on high alert. 

He made his way to the house that their contact had said Santa Miyoko was staying at. It was large and much too ornate for the area. Most of the people who lived there were either sheepherders, farmers, or shop owners. 

Kakashi studied the perfect landscaping and tried to spot movement in the windows. Nothing. He forced himself to stay in place until it grew darker despite his rising worry for his team. 

Kakashi had done his best not to get attached to Swan and Mouse, but they’d been kind to him the past year, in their own ways. Mouse liked to tease him and Swan about their stoicism but always had a kind word at the end of the day. Swan was always bitching at Kakashi about being late, but on Kakashi’s bad days, where he felt hopeless and alone and close to his breaking point, he’d sit next to him and not say anything at all.

They never tried to shield him from the hard stuff, even if they still gave him the rookie jobs, and took their roles as his mentors seriously. Kakashi could not have another teammate die on him. He  _ could not. _

It was with that urgency in mind that he approached the house before full night hit. He leapt into a large tree growing next to the back wall, then onto a balcony. The room beyond was dark and silent and he picked the lock quickly after disabling traps. His anxiety grew with the realization that they were shinobi-grade tricks.

There had been no reports of Miyoko hiring shinobi. Kakashi cursed himself for agreeing to go on that stupid side mission before slipping into the room. He paused and took deep, even breaths until the fear faded and he was able to fall into the cool, analytical mindset he used for missions.

He crept through the house, feet light and senses attuned to the world around him. He could smell the fresh scents of multiple individuals, and his eyes narrowed. There were more people here than there should have been. 

Miyoko was only supposed to be traveling with two others. It wasn’t until he’d gotten to the first floor that he picked up the scent of his teammates, along with blood. A lot of blood.

Voices were filtering down a hall from the parlor, and he peeked around the corner, then pulled back just as quickly. There were two shinobi standing guard at a door that was cracked open slightly. He strained his ears to pick up what they were saying.

“...come, now, Hyuuga, surely you can tell me something? Your partner’s already lost an ear. Do you want me to take an eye? Maybe break more of her fingers?” It was a woman’s voice, low and rough, and Kakashi assumed it was Miyoko.

“Mouse is strong, I know she will not break.” Kakashi could hear Mouse’s ragged breathing, though, and Swan’s voice was tense.

Miyoko laughed. “Eventually, everybody breaks. Kaito, darling, pass me that scalpel.”

Kakashi knew the smart thing to do would be to wait for Miyoko to finish and leave, and possibly take a few of the people he could hear in the room with her. He had no idea if there were more shinobi than the two with slashed through Kiri hitai-ate standing outside the door. Attacking now would be stupid.

When Mouse made a small, involuntary noise of pain and Swan started uttering threats at a chuckling Miyoko, Kakashi wasn’t willing to wait to do the smart thing. He reached under his mask to uncover his Sharingan, took a deep breath, then held his hand to the side.

The sound of chirping filled the air just as he stepped around the corner and sped down the hall. As always, his victim didn’t have time to move. His hand went straight through the large man’s heart, who stared at down at him in shock.

Kakashi tugged his hand from his chest and reached for his tanto, spinning towards the second man and stopping the swing of the man’s sword. He disengaged, then ducked under the follow-up swing and kicked him in the stomach. He flew back and hit the plaster of the wall.

Kakashi didn’t wait for him to recover. He sheathed his tanto and burst into the room, Sharingan taking in his two partners, bloody and missing all of their clothes except for their underthings. Kakashi didn’t take the time to study their features except to note the blood running down Mouse’s face and the odd angles of her fingers. Swan had a slice down his cheek that was bleeding freely and burn marks on his chest, along with a gaping wound in his shoulder.

Miyoko was a surprisingly average-looking middle-aged woman with short graying brown hair and brown eyes. She was standing next to Mouse holding a scalpel. Another shinobi and two civilians were standing with her.

Kakashi darted to the side when the shinobi threw a kunai at him, but his focus was on Miyoko, whose muscles had bunched in an obvious tell. She was going to try to slit Mouse’s throat. Kakashi ignored the shinobi and went through the needed hand signs before spitting fire bullets at Miyoko.

She screamed, but the shinobi pulled her out of the way before they could hit her. Both of the other civilians weren’t so lucky, and their screams drowned out the sounds of the continuing scuffle when they went up in flame. Kakashi spun when the missing-nin from the hall appeared but was too late to block the swipe of his sword. He turned so that it only sank a few inches into his side before hitting the man with a simple lightning jutsu to his chest.

He flew backward and Kakashi followed him, drawing his tanto in a smooth motion and sinking it into his heart when he hit the wall. When he turned around, Miyoko was jumping out of the window in the back of the room and the last shinobi was stalking towards him.

He was a large man with purple hair and Kakashi’s eyes narrowed when his hands raced through a few signs before spitting multiple water scythes at Kakashi. He jumped onto the wall and dashed across it, the blades blowing through whole sections of the plaster. He flipped off of it and landed on a low table. 

He could handle one more Chidori, but he’d have to time it right. He dodged a hail of water bullets, making sure to keep his fight far away from his teammates. Knowing he needed to end this quickly before Mouse and Swan got caught in the crossfire, he twisted around to face the missing-nin. 

His arm lit up and he blurred forward. He could see the whites of the man’s eyes, and just as he always did, he remembered the expression on Rin’s face when his hand had gone through her.

Then it was over and the last enemy fell to the floor. Kakashi turned and rushed to Swan. “Are you okay? Where else are you hurt?” 

Kakashi’s fingers were numb as he untied him, and he realized distantly that they were shaking. Weak, he was  _ weak - _

“I am fine. Mouse sustained more damage, both in the fight and from the torture.” Swan rushed to her side as soon as he was free.

“Hey, cookie,” she slurred at Swan. “Don’t look so constipated, m’ fine, m’ fine.” Her head flopped to the side so she could look at Kakashi, grey-blue eyes unfocused but still kind. “Kid, you did good. Guess you know who we are under these masks now, huh? Only took a year. Only fair, me and Sora figured out each other's identities two years ago. Was really romantic, it involved a -”

She groaned when Swan untied her and gently lifted her with his good arm. “I’ve known who you are for months,” Kakashi snapped. “He’s Hyuuga Sora, second cousin to Hizashi and Hiashi. You’re Nakamura Nagi, born to a civilian family.”

He’d just preferred to think of them as masks instead of real people. Lot of good that did him, in the end. His stomach was clenched into knots while he took in Mouse’s wounds. Swan sent him a chastising look for his tone but was mostly focused on healing the worst of Mouse’s injuries.

Kakashi fumbled in his pack for bandages. “How’s your chakra?” he asked Swan.

“Low. Yours? What about your injury? I saw you take a hit.”

“Pretty low. They didn’t hit anything vital, it can wait,” Kakashi said, dismissive.

“Hey, how come nobody cares about my chakra?” Mouse whined. 

Swan’s expression softened and he pushed her sweat-and-blood-matted blonde hair out of her face. “Hush. I’m going to take care of you now.” He glanced at Kakashi. “I have this under control. You go after Miyoko, finish the mission.”

“You’re vulnerable, I can’t leave you here.”

“That’s an order, Hound.” Swan’s tone was harsh and Mouse made a small sound of protest. 

He sighed but his expression softened. “Kakashi. That was all the enemies. You did well. I promise, I can keep us safe. Please, finish the mission.”

Kakashi looked over at Mouse, whose smile was dopey and vacant. He hated that he was wavering, despite knowing that Swan was right. His teammates were secure. If he left them, they’d be fine. 

Still, even after he had taken care of a screaming and spitting Miyoko and returned to find them bandaged and still bloody but alive, he couldn’t stop his hands from shaking.

000

Shikaku raised a brow at Kakashi, who was standing stiff and uncomfortable in front of him. He tapped his fingers on his desk as he thought over his request.

“Are you not happy on your current team?”

“It’s not about them. They’ve been...good. I hold the utmost respect for Swan and Mouse and am grateful for their tutelage. I would just prefer to work solo.”

Shikaku sighed and ran a hand down his face. He’d been worried Kakashi would react this way to his team’s most recent mission. “I’m going to be blunt here, Kakashi. I’m worried about allowing you to isolate yourself further. You’re on a slippery slope already. Not to mention, solo missions are always the toughest, physically and emotionally.”

“I understand your concern, Lord Hokage. I believe that my judgment is impaired when I am on a team, however.”

“This is Konoha, Kakashi. Teamwork is kind of our thing,” Shikaku said dryly but held up a hand before he could argue. “Alright. I’ll take you off Team Mouse-Swan, but that doesn’t mean you’ll never work with teams. I expect you to continue the ongoing mission of worm gathering with Swan and Mouse. However, I’ll start sending you on more individual missions and put you on other teams on a rotating basis.”

Shikaku frowned when Kakashi slumped with relief. He knew exactly why he was asking to work on his own. If Kakashi wasn’t ready to form attachments to a team, Shikaku wouldn’t force him. For now. He’d give him another six months before intervening. Honestly, it was a good sign that he was attached enough to Swan and Mouse to be scared off. At least now Shikaku knew he hadn’t succeeded in shutting himself off emotionally.

“I want you to take the night rotation this week for my family. I’ll talk to the Commander.”

“Thank you, Lord Hokage.”

“You’re welcome. And Kakashi? If you need me, I’m here.”

“Yes, Lord Hokage.”

Shikaku tipped his head back against his chair after he left. “Fuck.” 

He wondered if Minato would think he was doing the right thing. Shikaku certainly wasn’t sure he was doing the right thing, but he didn’t know how to force somebody to open themselves up. He’d have to come up with something, eventually, or they might lose Kakashi to his fear and pain.

He distracted himself by looking at the reports from Inoichi again. A petition had mysteriously appeared that was calling for the Uchiha to move their compound from the heart of the village. Or it would be a mystery if Yen and Bono hadn’t overheard Koharu and Danzo discussing their plans to encourage a few easily manipulated shinobi start it.

The two of them had been vocally in support of the move during the last meeting he’d had with his advisors. Homura, to Shikaku’s surprise, had slowly been turning his support towards Shikaku and hadn’t pressed. He wasn’t sure if that meant he was doing something right or something wrong.

Fugaku had stopped by earlier that day and offered to make the move in an attempt to show concessions. Shikaku honestly wasn’t sure what his next step should be. Danzo was turning out to be a formidable opponent.

He pressed his palms together and rested his fingers against his lips. Bringing Mikoto in as the leader of the Securities Team had helped calm most of the jounin and many of the clan heads. She’d implemented some major improvements, and they’d caught three people trying to sell information to outside forces within the first week. Not to mention, they’d captured a few enemy shinobi trying to spy on them, though they’d killed themselves before they could get information from them.

Inoichi’s counter-sabotage team was doing the best they could to calm the suspicion growing against the Uchiha, as well, but it was hard to fight fear. Especially when somebody as clever as Danzo kept fanning the flames. It had been almost a year since the Kyuubi attack, and the Uchiha’s relationship with the village just kept deteriorating.

Shikaku knew that moving the Uchiha would be as good as admitting they were a threat. It would only create a stronger feeling of  _ them vs. us. _ He couldn’t approve it, despite the pressure. It was going to cost him, though, especially when dealing with civilian representatives of the village. 

They didn’t hold any real power, in the sense that they could pass laws. Still, Shikaku had to take their requests into account. It was a pain, but without civilians, they wouldn’t eat. 

Luckily, his actions during the rebuild had built him some favor. Putting civilian housing first and giving out low-interest loans to business owners to help them rebuild had not only given the economy a much-needed jolt but had put him in a favorable light with merchant families.

He was pulled from his maudlin thoughts by a knock on his door, and a moment later it opened and Ensui entered the room. “Hey, big brother. You look depressed.”

“Just tired. Please tell me you have the proof we need to move on Danzo.”

Ensui sighed and collapsed in the chair across from him. The last year had been hard on both of them, and he could see the new stress in the lines etched into his brother’s face. “We’re close. Another six months and we’ll have him.”

“Yen and Bono are getting fat, you know. I think we’re overfeeding them.”

Ensui chuckled before sobering. “He’s getting bolder. I think he believes you don’t intend to do anything about him.”

Shikaku shrugged. “We’ll let him tie his own noose. Easier that way.”

Ensui rolled his eyes but plopped down a stack of files detailing the newest dirt they’d dug up on Danzo and his supporters without comment. It was delicate work, attempting to uncover his web without plucking the threads too hard and drawing his attention. Shikaku wouldn’t trust anybody but Ensui and Inoichi to handle it.

They had just started eating the sandwiches Aska brought them for lunch when Inoichi entered the office, face pale and brow pinched. 

“Jesus, what now,” Shikaku groaned before he could speak. Couldn’t he go a half day without receiving stressful news?

“Report from one of our deep cover agents in Iwa,” Inoichi said after glancing at Ensui and shutting the door. “Shikaku, they suspect that we’ve got a new jinchuuriki and that he’s vulnerable. And that he’s somebody close to you. There are already rumblings about assassination attempts.”

Shikaku sat up, alarmed. “How?” 

“We have a leak. It’s the only explanation.”

Shikaku shook his head slowly. “This is - who would do that?”

“I don’t know. Until recently nobody had any solid ideas on whether we even still had a jinchuuriki. Now, though...”

“Dammit. Okay. Inoichi, I want damage control. Spread rumors to confuse the situation. Ensui, double the night time ANBU guard on my family. This is salvageable if we act quickly.”

Inoichi nodded, then turned on his heel without bothering to say goodbye and hurried out. Ensui’s lips quirked up into a humorless smile. “That poor kid. It’s bad enough that half the village is terrified of him. At least nobody knows he’s Minato’s son, or we’d have assassins after every blonde-haired, blue-eyed child in the village.”

“I know.” Shikaku pushed his thumb and forefinger against his eyes to ward off a headache. “It’s always something. Alright, come on, let’s finish going through these missions. I promised Yoshino I’d be home for dinner tonight.” And she’d promised him a very special reward if he made it.

The next four days were, thankfully, drama free. Shikaku had gotten used to the routine of being Hokage. After the first intense six months, when the most important part of the rebuild was done and the missions were flowing in again, the village had slowly calmed.

There were still attacks at the border from Cloud every once in a while, but most of their movements against Konoha were more subtle now that the village had their feet under them again. It was mostly kept at attempts to sabotage missions to reduce faith in their ability to deliver, or attacks on Konoha shinobi if they were caught alone. Not enough to incite war, but enough to make themselves a thorn in Shikaku’s side. 

Danzo’s attempts to publicly and secretly undermine him were annoying, but so far he’d done alright staying ahead of him and cutting off the worst of his maneuvers. He just needed to make it another six months so that he could remove him from power properly. Shikaku intended to make an example of him.

He’d just sat down at his desk after a late afternoon meeting with a few angry shinobi from Sand when Aska rushed into his office. His usually calm assistant was visibly upset and Shikaku was standing and striding to the door before he’d opened his mouth to speak.

“What is it?”

“Your wife and children were attacked -”

Shikaku’s world narrowed to those six words and his steps faltered. He spun and grabbed Aska’s shoulders, and his voice was ragged when he spoke. “Are they okay?” 

“Yes. Their guards and two MPF officers were able to stop them. But, Lord Hokage, the messenger that Fugaku sent...he said it was Konoha shinobi who launched the attack. They were after Naruto.”

Shikaku stared at Aska, shock momentarily robbing him of words. “Where is my family?” he finally managed to ask.

“Military Police Force headquarters. Lord Fugaku is personally overseeing their safety until you arrive.”

“Okay. Go get Ensui, tell him to meet me there. Then send a message to my advisors and Inoichi. Have them meet me here in an hour and a half.”

“Yes, Lord Hokage.” Aska was once again put together, but after some hesitation he reached forward and put a hand on Shikaku’s shoulder. “I’m glad your family’s okay.”

“Thanks, Aska.”

Shikaku didn’t bother with the stairs. He went out the window and body flickered to the MPF, startling a passing chunin when he appeared in front of the doors of the large white building. He ignored the gazes on him and strode through the bullpen towards Fugaku’s open office door.

When he stepped inside, the first thing he saw was a white-faced Yoshino. Naruto was crying in her lap, fists curled into her dress. Shikamaru was sitting on the floor across from a young officer that Shikaku vaguely recognized as Fugaku’s newly minted apprentice. He was attempting to get him to play pattycake, and Shikamaru was staring at him with an unimpressed expression.

Shikaku swept him off the floor and hugged him to his chest, ignoring his protests. Yoshino stood and hurried over to him and he opened his free arm so she could tuck herself and Naruto against his side. Shikaku could care less that the door was open, or that Fugaku, Aya, Roku, and another officer were watching from various spots around the room. All he really cared about was that his family safe and in front of him.

“Are you alright?” he asked Yoshino and she nodded against his shoulder. He tightened his arm around her and ignored Shikamaru’s dramatic huffs.

Naruto had stopped squirming and was now babbling angrily at him, probably reciting all the indignities he’d been through. He kissed the top of Yoshino’s head and breathed in the floral scent of her shampoo. It wasn’t until she stepped back, visibly steadier, that he finally turned his attention to Fugaku, who was waiting patiently.

“Fugaku. Thanks for stepping in. Was anybody injured?” His eyes moved over Aya and Roku, but they seemed fine if a little ruffled. Aya had a large, swelling bruise on one cheek and her right sleeve was singed.

“One of the officers who showed up to help was,” Aya offered. “She stepped between Yoshino and a jutsu.”

“Her name is Ohta. She’s fine, one of our medics took care of her,” Fugaku said.

“I’d like to meet her when we’re done here.” 

Fugaku inclined his head and then looked over at his apprentice. “Hairu, shut the door, please.” He rushed to do as he asked, tripping over his own feet on the way. Any other day Shikaku would think it was funny that Fugaku’s apprentice was so damn clumsy. Currently, he had other matters on his mind.

“Tell me what happened,” he demanded. Shikamaru was slobbering on his vest and watching Naruto, who was leaning towards them with a hand outstretched.

Shikaku sighed when his eyes filled with tears and accepted him from Yoshino. He didn’t mind having them both close at the moment. Fugaku motioned to the chair in front of the desk and Shikaku took it. Yoshino pulled the second chair right up next to his before sitting as well. 

Shikamaru wrinkled his nose when Naruto grabbed a hunk of his hair, which was currently growing straight up in a halo around his head, and tugged. Shikaku sighed and disentangled Naruto’s fingers before he could send Shikamaru on one of his rare but epic crying fits.

“We waited for you to come before getting Yoshino’s statement. We’ve only just calmed the children.” 

Aya moved to stand closer to Yoshino, who smiled up at her and patted her hand. Aya’s expression softened and her lips quirked slightly, though she was still standing stiffly, as though expecting another attack at any moment.

It was still odd seeing them as friends. They’d spent the first six months of their acquaintance silently hating each other. Yoshino was loud and brash and Aya was the perfect example of elegant calm, and they hadn't exactly meshed well in the beginning. Shikaku had been about to give in and trade Aya out for Genma or Raido when something changed between the two women.

Roku had been baffled when he explained what had happened the day the two went from mortal enemies to best friends. Shikaku had been working a long string of twenty-two hour days at a time, filling in for Saori while she went to the border with a few jounin to scare off a group of Cloud Shinobi who had been causing trouble for weeks.

Shikamaru and Naruto both had colds and had been crying pretty much non-stop for two days. Yoshino had barely slept, missed her husband, and was starting to feel sick herself. Ensui’s birthday had passed without anybody having time to celebrate it despite Yoshino baking him a cake. It had been rock bottom for all of them.

Yoshino had been doing laundry when she tripped on her way to the clothesline. It had just rained and she’d ended up sprawled in the mud, clothes spread out around her. It had been the last straw. Shikaku’s heart had clenched with guilt when Roku told him about how she’d just sat in the mud and cried into her hands.

Then Aya had appeared and knelt next to her. Roku hadn’t heard what she’d said, but a few minutes later Yoshino had stood. Aya had helped her gather the laundry, re-wash it, and then instructed her to take a nap while she watched the boys.

It wasn’t normal - nor proper - guard behavior, but Yoshino had been so much happier after they struck up their odd friendship that Shikaku hadn’t had the heart to say anything. Besides, he now knew, without a doubt, that Aya would rather die than let anything happen to Yoshino, and it had nothing to do with clan pride.

“Aya, why don’t you start?”

“Yes, Lord Hokage.” Aya straightened and her expression cleared. “We were heading home from Yoshino and the children’s weekly dinner with the Sandaime. Roku was on the roofs watching for threats, and I was walking with Lady Yoshino. The children were in the double stroller.

“I saw the three shinobi who attacked us coming, but as I recognized one as a fellow jonin of Konoha and two others as chunin who guard the walls, I was not concerned at first.” She paused and glanced at Shikaku. “Please forgive me, Lord Hokage, for that mistake.”

Yoshino turned a glare on him and he waved a hand in the air. “No, no, you couldn’t have known, Aya,” he rushed to say just as the door was flung open and Ensui dashed in.

His expression was grim and Shikaku could see his stress in the tense lines of his body. As soon as he saw Yoshino and boys he relaxed. “Well, if Yoshino’s making you look that terrified, she must be fine.” Naruto made a happy squealing sound and reached for Ensui.

“Please, Ensui, feel free to come in,” Fugaku said dryly while Ensui closed the door. 

He ignored him in favor of striding over and picking up Naruto before he could start fussing. “Sorry, it took Aska a bit to find me. Everybody’s okay?”

“We’re fine,” Yoshino said. Ensui nodded once before moving to stand at Shikaku’s open side while Naruto patted at his face. 

Fugaku sighed, probably giving up on teaching any Nara manners. “Please continue, Aya.”

“When we passed the three shinobi, I saw one of the chunin pull a kunai. I called out to Roku and moved to intercept. I dispatched him quickly. The other two were rushing Yoshino and I engaged the jonin. Roku stopped the other with his shadow bind. The jonin was strong and I was not able to take him out immediately, so I was still engaged with him when the fourth attacker appeared.”

Shikaku's jaw clenched so hard it popped. This was coordinated and well-timed, then. They had known where his wife and children would be, and the position of her guards.

Aya continued giving her report in an emotionless tone despite the tension rising in the air. “The man in the shadow bind said, “Give us the demon child.” That is when Yoshino moved in front of the stroller. The fourth attacker used a deadly wind jutsu. I believe it would have hit her if Lord Uchiha’s officers had not arrived at the scene to block Yoshino and the children. 

“Just after that, Roku dispatched the remaining chunin. In an attempt to get to Yoshino more quickly, I killed the jonin. It seemed the most expedient solution in case there were more attackers.”

Shikaku let his breath out slowly. Everybody was silent and looking at Naruto, who was laughing in Ensui’s arms and waving at Shikamaru. The sight of his happy baby smile sent rage moving through Shikaku. How could anybody want to kill an infant? Especially this one. 

Like any baby, he cried and had moments of crankiness, but he was a generally happy boy. He was adorable, honestly, and both Shikaku and Yoshino loved him like he was their own. He sighed and reached up to let Naruto grab his hand. Naruto beamed at him and Shikaku’s heart clenched. He couldn’t stand the thought of what Naruto would have to endure if the current climate prevailed.

“You have the one that’s still alive, Fugaku?”

“I do.” 

“Alright. Yoshino, sweetheart, why don’t you, Aya, and Roku take the boys home. Do you two mind staying even after the ANBU show up?”

“That’s fine, Lord Hokage,” Aya said. Shikaku’s lips twitched at her determined expression. Shikaku probably couldn’t pry her from Yoshino’s side with the use of a crowbar.

“Thank you. I have to meet with the council,” he said with true regret.

Yoshino smiled and leaned against his shoulder. “I know. Do what you have to and figure out how to keep our boy safe, alright?”

Shikaku’s lips twitched up. “You’re a damn fine woman, you know.”

Yoshino blushed and Ensui groaned. “Come on, some of us just had dinner.”

Shikaku waggled his eyebrows and Ensui made the appropriate little brother horrified noises. Even Fugaku’s lips twitched slightly, and Shikaku was able to breathe a little easier.

He handed Shikamaru to Aya with more than a little reluctance. He knew how close it had been from the haunted look in his wife's eyes. The thought of any member of his family being injured or killed had the anger that he was working hard to tamp down fighting to surface.

He kissed Yoshino’s forehead, lingering for a moment before standing and following Fugaku out of the room. “Hairu. Stay until the ANBU arrive, and then join their escort. You're to keep them safe, on our honor as Uchiha.”

“Yes, shishou!” Hairu said with obvious determination before moving to sit next to Yoshino. 

The last thing Shikaku heard as they left was Hairu stuttering through a greeting. “Did he just tell Aya she was a beautiful warrior?” Ensui asked and Fugaku sighed.

“He tends to blurt things when he’s nervous.”

Shikaku exchanged a look with Ensui. He knew his brother was thinking the same thing he was. The kid wouldn’t make it a year under Fugaku.

They followed Fugaku down a few hallways until they came to a thick metal door with multiple seals etched on it in black. Two Uchiha stood in front of it, MPF badges on their shoulders. 

Fugaku nodded to them and one of them turned and ran his hand across the seals. A moment later there was a click, and the guard grabbed the handle and turned. The door opened to reveal a set of stairs. Shikaku and Ensui followed Fugaku down them. The air was cool and stagnant, and the door closed with a heavy thud behind them.

When they got to the bottom, there was another door. Fugaku opened it, and they stepped into a long hallway that ended in a stone wall. Lining either side were ten thick metal doors, each with a small window set with bars in them. 

Shikaku had never seen the MPF holding cells before, though he’d heard of them. The air was musty but not overly so, and it was creepily silent. He glanced at Ensui and followed Fugaku to the third door on the right. He pulled keys out of his pockets and put one into the lock. The sound of the bolt sliding was loud in the still air, but the door swung open without a sound.

The cell itself consisted of dull gray walls and a toilet in the corner. Along the far wall, sitting on a cot, was a young man with light red hair. He was wearing a pair of thin sweats and was hunched over, rocking back and forth. He didn’t look up, though Shikaku was sure he’d heard them come inside.

Fugaku strode across the room to stand in front of him, and Shikaku motioned for Ensui to go with him before he moved to lean against the opposite wall, arms crossed over his chest, and settled in to watch. If Ensui couldn’t get what they needed, Inoichi would. Shikaku wanted to hear the man’s story for himself, though.

“Sit up and face your Hokage.” Fugaku’s voice snapped through the room along with a hint of killing intent, and Shikaku’s hair stood up on his arms. Damn, but Fugaku was a scary motherfucker when he wanted to be. Ensui didn’t move, and Shikaku could see his cold expression in his profile.

When the prisoner looked up, Shikaku let out a slow breath. He couldn’t be older than fourteen. His pale blue eyes were red-rimmed, and his gaze bounced from Fugaku to Ensui before landing on Shikaku. He scrambled to fling himself from the cot onto his knees and bowed until his forehead was touching the ground.

“Lord Godaime. Forgive me, please forgive me. Your wife and child were never supposed to be in danger. We were going to take the monster and go, I swear it -”

“He’s not a monster,” Ensui growled. The area around him darkened and the young man sat up and scooted away until his back hit the cot. His eyes were wide and his whole body was shaking as he stared at Ensui.

Dammit. This was no evil traitor set on the destruction of the village. Shikaku sighed and stepped forward, then held up his hand when Fugaku opened his mouth to stop him from speaking. He knelt down so that he was level with the boy and met his gaze. “What’s your name?”

“It - it’s Ito Dai, sir.”

“Okay. Now, can you tell me why you attacked my family?”

He hunched in on himself and wrapped his arms around his knees. “It was for the village. The village was in danger. The monster had you fooled because he looks so much like the Yondaime, and you loved him...it was the right thing to do. It was the - the -”

His teeth started to chatter and Shikaku sat back on his heels. “Tell me what the danger is, Ito, so that I can keep the village safe,” he said in a low, soothing tone.

“The Kyuubi. The Kyuubi is just waiting for his chance to break free. The seal is faulty! The man told Kobayashi that the seal was faulty and you can’t - you didn’t want to see it, because he looks like a baby, but he isn’t, he  _ isn’t -” _

Shikaku looked over at Fugaku, whose brow was wrinkled as he studied Ito. “Kobayashi Goro was the name of the jounin,” he explained and Shikaku nodded.

“What man, Ito? Was it somebody Koboyashi knew?”

Ito shook his head and rocked faster. “Just a man, his face is dark, it’s dark, it's all dark, I don’t know him. He’s important. He knows things.” He lunged forward and pressed his forehead to the ground again, inches from Shikaku's boot. “Please, he knows things, he knew, he told us, and now Kobayashi’s dead, the beast killed him. That damn fox, he killed my sister and mom and Kobayashi’s family, too. We just wanted to protect our families and the village. We just - we just -”

“Alright, Ito, that’s good, that’s enough. You’ve been very helpful,” Shikaku said. 

He looked up, eyes wide and pleading. “You’ll stop him? You’ll protect the village?”

Shikaku exchanged a look with Ensui. “Oh, yes, Ito. I can promise you, I will stop him and protect this village.” He didn’t need to clarify which _him_ he meant.

Ito’s features melted into an expression of profound relief. “Thank you, _thank you,_ Lord Godaime. We need to stop the Kyuubi. There are others who will help you, who are ready to sacrifice their lives to stop the Kyuubi from - from -”

Shikaku's breath stuttered at that information, but be forced himself to remain relaxed. “I know. Good job, Ito. You were very brave.”

“Thank you, thank you, Lord Godaime.”

Shikaku stood and stepped back when he continued rocking and babbling out his thanks. He turned on his heel without looking at Ito again and strode from the room. His stomach was churning in a mix of rage and heartsickness.

“Somebody broke his mind,” Fugaku said after catching up to him halfway down the hall, Ensui trailing behind them.

“Yes.” Shikaku’s hand fisted at his side.

All of the men involved in the assassination attempt had lost the things they loved most in the world and were vulnerable to mental manipulation. Somebody was taking advantage of the pain of Shikaku’s shinobi. He added it to the list of things they would pay for.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shikaku responds to the newest threat, and nobody is happy. Also, Kakashi can't get away from digging for worms no matter what the situation, it seems.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings for sad stuff

“Well, the jinchuuriki obviously can’t stay with you,” was the first thing Koharu said after Shikaku gave a rundown of the situation to his advisors and a few others he’d ask to be present.

“Excuse me?” Shikaku was no longer bothering to hide how pissed off he was. The interrogation with the chunin had been both enlightening and frustratingly vague.

“Do you think you’re the only one who has heard that somebody’s leaking information about Naruto’s whereabouts?” Danzo asked. “It’s obvious it’s all connected. The people who are unhappy with a demon being allowed out in the streets are the same ones leaking information. It’s a warning.”

Shikaku glanced at Inoichi, who shook his head. He hadn’t told anybody else about the intel he’d shown Shikaku about the leak. He relaxed back against his chair and forced his anger down into a little box. “A warning, huh?”  

“Yes. To keep control of the jinchuuriki, or they’ll do something more extreme.”

“Danzo.” Hiruzen leaned forward. “We do not give in to terrorists.”

“These are not terrorists. These are loyal shinobi. They’re just trying to do what’s right for Konoha.”

“By going against the will of her Hokage?” Mikoto asked in a mild tone.

Shikaku had asked Mikoto to come to the meeting at the last minute. What happened could technically fall into her purview to keep Konoha’s assets safe from any and all threats. She met Danzo’s dismissive stare with a steady one of her own.

“Shikaku has obviously not inspired confidence in them.”

“Or somebody is purposefully subverting him,” Inoichi said, tone cutting.

“Are you accusing somebody specifically, Inoichi?” Danzo asked.

Inoichi narrowed his eyes. “No. It’s just a thought.”

“The boy needs to be hidden away,” Koharu said, ignoring the byplay between Inoichi and Danzo.

Hiruzen sighed. “He’s settled with the Nara. It would be cruel to remove him from them.”

“It would be crueler to leave him there. The situation is out of control, Hiruzen, Lord Hokage,” Homura said. It was the first he’d offered an opinion on the situation, and he didn’t say it with triumph.

Shikaku knew they were right, even if at least one of them seemed to have set things into motion so it would come to this point. Shikaku was going to destroy Danzo for this. He just had to hold onto the patience he was well-known for, or all his and Ensui’s work up until now would be for nothing.

“You’re putting your whole family in danger by keeping him there,” Danzo said. Shikaku met his gaze and a chill ran through him. He knew, and Danzo knew, that it was a threat. Shikaku could either hand Naruto over to Danzo, or he would keep targeting his family.

Ensui shifted behind him when he picked up on it, too. Shikaku cocked his head to the side and leaned forward. He let some of what he was feeling show on his face and leak into his chakra. Danzo twitched. It was just a small movement, but Shikaku saw it. 

“You believe that, Danzo? It that truly your opinion?” he asked in a low tone. 

Everybody in the room was silent and watching them with wary eyes. Danzo met his gaze levelly and his lips twitched up on one side. “You know it is.”

“Hmm.” Shikaku sat back and tucked his anger away again. “I suppose you have a suggestion?”

“I do. I’ve proven before that I’m quite good at keeping assets hidden and under control.”

“Absolutely not,” Hiruzen snapped. 

“Like hell you’re pulling that bullshit with my nephew,” Ensui said.

Shikaku just kept his gaze steady on Danzo, not speaking. He decided that death wasn’t enough for him. He was going to make him watch everything he’d worked for be destroyed first. His precious Root dismantled once and for all. Those under-the-table dealings he’d done with terrorists and warlords reversed or destroyed. The respect of his troops, the loyalty of his shinobi. Shikaku was going to make sure he felt like all of the work he’d done was for  _ nothing. _ Only then would he kill him.

“He’s an asset, not some pet,” Danzo said dismissively, though Shikaku didn’t miss the way his thumb was rubbing his cane. He did it when he was angry, and apparently when he was nervous.

Shikaku heard Ensui shuffle forward, probably to do something stupid. He raised his hand and Ensui settled. Danzo turned away from him with a small smile playing across his lips.

“Come, Shikaku. You’re a pragmatic man. You know what has to be done to keep Naruto and your family safe, and to make sure Konoha doesn’t have dissent tearing it apart.”

Shikaku’s heart was heavy when he answered. “Yes. I do.”

And he’d make sure Danzo regretted it just as much as Shikaku did, in the end.

000

Kakashi listened to the sounds of Yoshino and Aya bathing Shikamaru and Naruto from his spot on the roof. It was painful watching Minato’s son every evening from afar, but it was a relief, too. Seeing him alive and happy, despite everything.

Hearing that somebody had dared to attack him - that people he considered comrades had attacked him - was almost too much. There was an itchiness under his skin and it was making him jumpy. When the Hokage and his two guards flickered into existence on the walkway he flared his chakra in greeting.

“Hound. Come inside with me. Genma and Raido will handle the perimeter.” Shikaku’s voice was grim and Kakashi body flickered to the ground without comment, curiosity outweighing trepidation at getting too close to Naruto. Genma and Raido’s usual bored countenances were gone, replaced by a tense fury. Dread settled in Kakashi’s stomach, heavy and piercing.

The house still smelled faintly of freshly cut wood and paint. It was four blocks from the administration building, tucked into a grove of trees that had been transplanted there. Shikaku led him to an office, already cluttered with books and scrolls despite the generous shelf space on the walls. “Wait here. And take off your mask. Ensui will be joining us.”

Kakashi frowned but didn’t argue before removing his mask and cloak. He wandered over to a shelf and studied the titles of the books without taking them in. What was going on?

Ensui slipped inside after only a minute or so. Just like Raido and Genma, he was seething. “Captain,” Kakashi greeted.

Ensui stalked across the room until he was towering over him. Kakashi held himself stiffly and resisted the urge to lean away. What had he done to put that look on his face? “You listen to me, kid. You better make damn sure you put your own feelings aside and treat him right, you got it? He’s a baby. God, he’s a  _ baby.” _

Kakashi stood, rooted to the spot, unsure what to do when Ensui ran a hand over the top of his head and spun on his heel. He stalked to the other end of the room. “Fuck.  _ Fuck!” _

“Ensui. That’s enough,” Shikaku said. He was standing at the door, an infant in his arms that had to be Shikamaru, by the brown hair and eyes. He was chewing on a star-shaped gel pack and staring at Ensui. 

After a moment he dropped it onto the floor and held his arms out to him, making strained, pitiful noises. “Manipulators, every one of us,” Ensui muttered, but walked over and took his nephew.

Yoshino edged around Shikaku and into the room and Kakashi’s breath caught when he saw Naruto in her arms. He hadn’t been in the same room as him since the one and only time he’d tried to visit him in the hospital. It had resulted in a panic attack that he hadn’t recovered from for hours.

He was healthy-looking and was smiling over at Shikaku and waving his arms around. Yoshino had him on her hip and was absently bouncing him while he made happy little ‘uh-uh-uh’ sounds with each jolt.

“Shikaku, what is it? What’s wrong? Oh, Kakashi!”

Yoshino brightened and strode across the room. He stood still, too overwhelmed to duck her kiss to his cheek. “It’s so wonderful to see you.”

He swallowed when Naruto latched onto his shirt and babbled a greeting. “Uh. You too, Yoshino.”

He wondered how much trouble he’d be in if he ran. A glance at Shikaku’s stormy expression was all the answer he needed. He’d probably end up trapped in a shadow bind. Shikaku moved to shut the door, then took a deep breath and turned to face the room again. “We can’t assume that what happened today will be an isolated incident.”

Yoshino’s breath caught. “What? What do you mean? But those - those were Konoha shinobi. You can’t really think there’s more than those four?”

“I don’t think. I know. Yoshino, somebody’s been planting the idea that Naruto is a danger - some sort of ticking time bomb - into the minds of our less stable shinobi.”

Ensui’s teeth gritting together was audible and Yoshino’s eyes narrowed. “He wouldn’t dare.”

Shikaku’s lips turned up in a humorless smile. “I should have known you’d figured out who the trouble maker is. He would dare, and he has. He threatened you today. All of you.”

“He wasn’t even that  _ subtle. _ Hand over Naruto or I’m going to fuck with your family.” Shikamaru cooed at Ensui and patted his face in response to his outburst and he smiled painfully down at him.

Kakashi stilled at his words and the same calm, deadly focus he used on assassination missions fell over him. “I’ll do it.”

All three Nara looked over at him, and Shikaku raised a brow. “Do what, exactly?”

“I’ll kill him. Whoever this person is. If he thinks he can take Naruto...” He fisted his hand at his side, imagined it covered in lightning. He would do it happily, to protect Minato-sensei’s son.

To his surprise, Ensui chuckled. “I like this kid, let’s do it his way instead.”

Shikaku sighed. “I didn’t bring you in here to order you to kill Shimura Danzo. Unfortunately.” 

Kakashi’s eyes widened. “Lord Shimura? He wants to take Naruto? He’s behind the unrest? But why?”

Shikaku shrugged. “He wants power. To him, that’s what Naruto is. I think he wants to use him as leverage against me, too. He knows I think of him as a son.”

He reached over and set his hand on Naruto’s head and he scowled and batted at it. Shikaku turned to Kakashi and his eyes were unbearably sad. “Make no mistake, Danzo is going to die, and his network is going with him. It can’t be today, though. We need a few more months. Even if we did kill him right now, the damage is done. Naruto is in danger here, from my own people.”

Shikaku crossed his arms over his chest and glanced at Yoshino, who was watching her husband with shuttered eyes. “There are still cracks in morale from the attack, still things that need time to mend. On top of that, there are whispers in other villages about our jinchuuriki being alive and well. Another thinly veiled threat - Danzo has people who will reveal Naruto’s identity, probably to Cloud or Iwa. I doubt killing him right now would prevent that, either. We have to find the leaks and plug them.”

“No,” Yoshino said and took a step back. She pulled Naruto to her chest and held him firmly against her, ignoring his sound of protest. “No, Shikaku, you can’t. Please. He - he’s  _ ours.  _ He’s mine, he’s my baby.”

Shikaku crossed the room and cupped her cheeks in his hands. Kakashi looked away when he saw her eyes were full of tears. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry, Yoshino, you know I don’t want to. I can’t protect him here, not when it’s our own people -”

“We can, we  _ can. _ We have people we trust, they can - they can -”

Kakashi met Ensui’s gaze. His eyes were slightly wet and his lips were twisted. Everybody in the room - including Yoshino, Kakashi was sure - knew that it wasn’t true. His heart sank and he felt that same shaky, trembling feeling he’d had when Swan and Mouse were in trouble. 

They couldn’t guarantee Naruto’s safety, or Shikamaru’s and Yoshino’s, if he stayed. And they’d be painting a target on their Hokage’s back. Konoha could not lose another Hokage so soon after Minato. 

They’d need to hide Naruto. From villagers and from outsiders alike. Kakashi was starting to get an ominous feeling about his role in all of this. 

“Okay,” Yoshino finally whispered. “Okay. Damn you, Shikaku.”

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry.”

Shikaku took a deep breath when Yoshino turned her back to him and pressed her lips to Naruto’s forehead. The babies were both starting to fuss, probably in response to all the stress. Yoshino took a few slow, deep breaths, then turned back around. Kakashi felt his respect for her rise when he saw that she was all business now, despite the wet sheen over her eyes. “Where are you going to hide him? You can’t send him to another village, that’s too risky,” she said.

“We’re not sending him to another village. He’s going to be traveling,” Shikaku said.

Yoshino frowned. “Traveling? What do you mean? And with whom?”

Shikaku turned to Kakashi. “Hound. I have your solo mission for you.”

Kakashi shook his head and took a step back. “No. No, I’m not - I can’t watch a baby! I can’t be responsible for his safety. I can’t -”

“Breath, kid,” a low voice said and a large, warm hand settled on the back of his neck and squeezed. A moment later a smaller hand patted at his hair. 

When he opened his eyes Ensui was standing next to him and Shikamaru was staring at his hair in awe as he patted and tugged on it. Ensui chuckled. “See, kids love you.”

“My hair. He likes my hair.” 

“Kakashi. I don’t expect you to do this on your own. You’re going to meet up with a member of Naruto’s family. She’ll help.”

“You can’t mean who I think you do,” Yoshino said in a high voice.

Kakashi was too busy trying to breathe through the tightness in his throat and chest to even try and guess. Still, Yoshino’s horrified expression was enough to send his anxiety soaring to new heights. He couldn’t do this. He wouldn’t, he refused.

Shikaku tilted his head. “Senju Tsunade. She’s his great aunt once removed or something.”

“Shikaku! She’s practically a missing-nin.”

“Practically, but not technically. Yoshino, think about it. She’s strong enough to protect Naruto, especially with Kakashi tagging along, and she practically raised her brother. She’s a medic, too.”

“Retired medic,” Yoshino said. “She freezes at the sight of blood, you know that! And I heard she’s an alcoholic -”

“Dan’s niece is with her. She’s what, seventeen, now? She’ll have taught her medical techniques. Yoshino, I know this isn’t ideal. But it’s the safest option for him right now.” Shikaku was holding his hands out to her in an obvious bid for understanding. She looked ready to bolt with Naruto, and damn the consequences.

“Why do I have to stay?” Kakashi asked, tone as desperate as he was feeling. “I can drop him off and -”

“Because you love him.” 

Kakashi’s arms dropped to his sides and he stared at Naruto, who was back to smiling and tugging on his adoptive mother’s hair. Kakashi wanted to deny it but he couldn’t, he  _ couldn’t.  _ It was why he couldn’t stand to be in the same room with him, why most of his nightmares featured his round cheeks and innocent eyes.

Shikaku stepped in front of him and put both his hands on his shoulders. His gaze was steady and clear and demanded Kakashi’s attention. “I know Tsunade will protect Naruto and keep him healthy. It’s who she is. But he needs - he needs somebody who will love him.”

Kakashi’s eye widened when Shikaku’s voice broke slightly on the last word. The pain was etched clearly across his features, and though Kakashi knew he was letting him see it, it twisted something inside him. Shikaku loved Naruto. Maybe as much as he loved Shikamaru. He was a parent asking someone to protect their child when they couldn’t.

Kakashi looked away. “I don’t know if I’ll be able to...”

“Just try, Kakashi, you just have to try. And when he’s old enough, you tell him that his Aunt Yoshino and Uncle Shikaku are waiting for him at home, alright?”

Yoshino sobbed and Kakashi glanced over at her. “There’s no one else, kid,” Ensui added. He’d backed up when Shikaku was talking, but he stepped back into Kakashi’s line of sight now. “I know you’re in pain, but Naruto needs you. Your village needs you. Outside of our personal feelings on the matter, if somebody kills or takes our jinchuuriki, we’ll be in big trouble.”

“It’s only until he’s of Academy age. Maybe a little younger if things calm down sooner. By then people will have forgotten, or it will have been long enough that the rumor that he’s unstable will fade,” Shikaku said. “You’ll also be working as one of my agents. You can gather information on what’s happening outside the village, and I’ll be following your movements so I can send you relevant missions.”

“How?” Kakashi asked, curiosity getting the better of him.

“Ah, about that...” Shikaku rubbed the back of his neck. “I can’t tell you, and you can’t try to find out, or I’ll lose a powerful ally. Just...every week, you’ll need to set out a bag of worms and then leave it. Don’t try to watch it, for god’s sake.”

Kakashi’s jaw dropped. On top of leaving the village for possibly years to spend every day with the object of his nightmares and a disgraced sannin, he _still_ had to dig for worms?

Shikaku shrugged. “Yeah. It’s not ideal, I know, but it’s worth it. Just consider it part of your mission parameters. If you forget, I have no doubt unpleasant things will happen to you.”

Ensui shuddered and Kakashi frowned. Just what kind of people was Shikaku allied with? “So the mission parameters are to assist Senju Tsunade in protecting Naruto after I deliver her to him, set out worms once a week, and send back relevant intel picked up on my travels while completing any secondary missions you send.”

“And nurturing.” Kakashi looked over at Yoshino, whose face was pinched in an attempt to hold herself together. “You can’t just...just feed and water him and call it good. You need to - to tell him that you love him. And that Shikaku and I love him, too, and Shikamaru -”

She sobbed and Shikaku turned and pulled her against him. She hid her face in his shoulder. Kakashi stared at Naruto, who was making distressed noises and pulling at her collar. He wanted to reassure her, but he couldn’t. Kakashi had never nurtured anything in his life, except a plant. Everything he loved died.

He hoped that the niece they mentioned was good with kids because otherwise, he wasn’t sure how they were going to pull this off.

Shikaku looked over at him. “You’ll have to leave tonight. You’ll hide Naruto under your cloak. We’ll give him something to help him sleep.”

“Tonight?” Yoshino leaned away from Shikaku and stared up at him. “So soon?”

“Danzo might be expecting something like this. We have to move fast. I’m supposed to meet with them tomorrow and tell them my decision, and Kakashi needs to be far away by then.”

Yoshino bit her lip. “Okay. I - I’m going to go pack some things in a scroll. Then I’ll come back down and tell Kakashi what - what he needs to -”

She shook her head, then turned and ran from the room. Shikamaru made a sound of protest and Ensui sighed. “I’ll go help her,” he said with a heavy voice.

When they were alone, Shikaku pulled out two envelopes. One had Tsunade’s name written on the front. The other was twice as thick and blank. “Here. I had Aska draw up a civilian identity for you and Naruto. Your name is Kashi, and you’re an ex-mercenary from Tea. Naruto is the son of a friend who died. You left the business to raise him, and Tsunade hired you on to take care of her day-to-day business so she could concentrate on gambling. The letter’s for her if she fights you too hard on taking the two of you in.”

“I thought you said...”

“Oh, she’ll try to get out of it. Try to convince her on your own. If you can’t, show her that letter as a last resort, since it could backfire if you lead with it. It reminds her that she’s Naruto’s closest living relative. It also informs her that it’s an order, and if she tries to refuse it, I will list her as a missing-nin and personally make sure her life is a living hell. I’ll sic Danzo on her, if I have to.” 

Kakashi believed him. Tsunade would not like what happened if she said no. But...”If she does refuse?”

Shikaku sighed. “If she refuses, you’re to find Jiraiya, same mission parameters.” He grimaced. “I’m glad Yoshino wasn’t here for that part. But Kakashi, you do everything you can to convince her. Jiraiya is a strong shinobi and a good man, but I do not want him raising one of my kids.”

Kakashi thought about his Icha Icha books and nodded. That was probably a good call. Kakashi had fallen into the calm of a mission, and his fear had left him. It didn’t sound so bad once he knew he’d be tracking down leads and performing missions. It would probably be a lot like what he did now, once he convinced Tsunade and her traveling companion to accept the mission.

He’d go out on missions as Hound in between traveling and chasing down rumors and leads. He’d just be watching Naruto to keep him safe, just like he did when he was his ANBU guard. He didn’t have to actually interact with the boy. He was sure Tsunade would take care of him once she got used to the idea.

Right. This wasn’t so bad. Kakashi could do this.

000

Shikaku stood at the window in his office, looking out over the village. He felt numb, and exhaustion was tugging at him. After Kakashi and Naruto had left he’d laid in bed with Yoshino, who had cried for hours before she fell asleep. 

He wondered if he should have killed Danzo right off the bat, after all. He’d never expected this level of insidiousness from him. The damage was done now, either way. The only way to make it worth the loss of Naruto was to complete the plan.

“Shikaku?” He turned at the sound of Hiruzen’s voice. He was standing just inside the door and Danzo, Homura, and Koharu were just behind him. His brow was furrowed, and Shikaku straightened his shoulders and motioned for them to sit down.

Danzo, he was sure, had picked up on his distress and saw it as a sign that he’d won. He was only half right. Shikaku wouldn’t name himself a winner in this altercation, but he wouldn’t name Danzo as one, either. Aska had already put out tea, and Shikaku sat and watched as they helped themselves.

“I suppose we should discuss details, then,” Danzo said. Shikaku gritted his teeth at his eagerness but didn’t interrupt him. He’d let him make a fool of himself for a while. He took a sip of tea when Koharu nodded along with Danzo’s words. “You can bring the jinchuuriki to me this evening. I’ve set up an appropriate space for him.”

Shikaku took a cookie and ignored Hiruzen’s concerned gaze. Danzo talked for a few more minutes until he realized Shikaku hadn’t yet responded. “Come now, Shikaku, the silent treatment is unbecoming of somebody of your station. Now, what time should I expect you to drop the boy off?”

Shikaku shrugged. “Well, I don’t know, Danzo. The truth is, it might be a little tough to get him to you today, considering he’s not even in the village anymore.”

Silence met his proclamation.

“Excuse me?” Danzo finally said after Shikaku had eaten two more bites of his cookie.

“I said, Naruto isn’t in the village anymore.”

“And where, then, is he?” Hiruzen looked a mix of relieved and concerned.

“Somewhere safe.”

Danzo had gone very, very still. “I think, as your council, we have the  _ right -” _

“You have the right to nothing!” His voice echoed through the room, and he stood so that he was towering over the council. Killing intent filled the room, and Genma and Raido appeared behind his seat.

Homura held up a shaking hand. “You’re right, Lord Hokage. The less people who know where you’ve put him for safe-keeping, the better. Wouldn’t you agree, Koharu, Danzo?”

Koharu had gone pale, and Danzo didn’t seem to be breathing. It was Hiruzen who answered. “Yes, a very wise course of action, considering. I trust that Shikaku’s solution will be sufficient in keeping Naruto safe.”

“Safe, perhaps, but of what use is he -”

“I suggest you stop talking,” Shikaku said and Danzo’s mouth snapped shut. He sounded like he felt - on the verge of killing somebody. He realized, suddenly, that his patience for the man had run out. If he spent more time with him, he would give in and slaughter him and damn the mess his untimely demise would leave behind.

He took a few deep breaths until he was under control enough to speak, and sat down carefully. He didn’t ask Genma and Raido to leave. “Koharu. I’m reassigning you. From now on, you will be a special advisor to the Jounin Commander. I understand you and Commander Inuzuka have been working closely on a few things.”

Her mouth opened and closed, and he could see that everybody in the room was struggling to catch up with the abrupt change in subject and tone. Shikaku was tired of wading through these meetings, though. It was obvious that Danzo had made his move, there was no need to keep up the pretense any longer. Hopefully, he wouldn’t guess how deep Shikaku’s plans ran in their game.

“You are...removing me from the council?” 

“Reassigning you, as I said.” It made sense from an outside perspective since Koharu was quite the strategist in her time. She’d also shown an overt interest in helping Commander Saori succeed as the first woman in an overt military leadership position in Konoha’s history. If he’d given Saori orders to keep an eye on Koharu, well, that was neither here nor there.

“This is an outrage -” Danzo began, but once again stopped talking when Shikaku turned to him. He let the silence stretch, and nobody dared to break it.

“Danzo. You’re also relieved of your post.”

“What, no reassignment? Just dismissal? What will people think?”

Shikaku ignored his sneer and took a sip of tea. “Frankly, I don’t give a damn what anybody thinks. You’re poison, Danzo, and anybody with a modicum of sense knows it.” He stared straight at Koharu as he spoke. She looked away.

Danzo stood, all wounded dignity and anger. “I can see that you’ll no longer be reasonable. I hope you know what you’re doing,  _ Lord Godaime _ .”

He stalked out of the room. Koharu shifted, obviously unsure whether she should follow. “Go,” he said to her, and she stood. “But, Koharu. I suggest you think very, very carefully about your allegiances in the coming months. Do you understand?”

She paused and studied him, gaze shrewd. Finally, she tipped her head before turning and leaving the room. Shikaku was suddenly very, very tired. When, he wondered, would this end?

“Lord Hokage.” He looked over at Homura, who was glancing between him and a still-silent Hiruzen. “Will I also be...reassigned?”

Shikaku sighed and sat back. “I thought about it,” he admitted. He hadn’t forgotten that just a year ago, Homura had been firmly in Danzo’s corner. “But I don’t need a council of yes-men, and you’re comfortable with stating your opinion without flirting on the edges of treason. I’d like for you to stay.”

Homura cleared his throat. “I am...not pleased with Danzo’s recent actions. Don’t get me wrong, I do believe he played a pivotal role for many years.” He glanced at Hiruzen, whose lips turned up into a self-deprecating smile at the reminder of the fact that he’d needed Danzo’s intervention in the first place. “But that role is no longer needed, and, in fact, has become more of a hindrance in the running of the village. You and I do not always see eye-to-eye, it’s true, but I respect your leadership qualities and would be honored to remain an advisor.”

Shikaku nodded, though it was stiff. “Alright. But Homura. If I find out you’ve been feeding information to Danzo, I will not show you leniency. Do you understand?” He put all of the anger over what Danzo had put his family through into the words.

Homura’s intake of breath was shaky, but his nod was firm. “I do, Lord Hokage.”

After they left, Shikaku remained in his office for a long time, staring out at the lamp-lit streets of his village. He wondered where Naruto was now, and whether or not he was alright. He wondered if he’d done the right thing. Most of all, he wondered how long it would take for the chunk that had been ripped from his heart with the loss of a son to heal over.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so before you get out your pitchforks, I just need you to pause and imagine. Kakashi, Tsunade, Naruto, and poor Shizune, traveling around the elemental nations together. Ninja sitcom, anyone?
> 
> Next chapter is going to be a little more fun, I promise.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kakashi discovers the joys of childcare and Tsunade is Not Happy with Shikaku's request (demand).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ta-da!! I'm back! Before you ask, updates will probably still be sporadic since my schedule is still a bit hectic, but it shouldn't be that long before updates again. :)

Kakashi had never made a less dynamic entrance in his life. He was exhausted, covered in spit-up and road-dust, and had a wailing child strapped to his chest. He knew his uncovered eye had to be bloodshot and more than a little crazed. He was going on his thirtieth hour without sleep and Naruto would not. Stop. Crying. 

Not that he could blame the kid. He’d cry too if he went from living with the Naras to being stuck with him. The man at the bar of the nearly-empty casino wrinkled his nose at Naruto but didn’t say anything. Even dressed as a mercenary and as young as he was, Kakashi looked dangerous. 

“I’m looking for Senju Tsunade. I heard she was frequenting your establishment recently.”

“I don’t know where she is.”

Kakashi stared him down and his eyes flicked away. Naruto’s wails increased. Two people got up and hurried towards the door. “Well, then, I guess I’ll just have to stay here until she comes back.” He made a show of settling into the barstool, then leaned down and sniffed at Naruto. “You don’t mind if I change his diaper here, do you?”

The barman caved. “Fine, she’s staying at the Jasmine. Just. You didn’t hear from me, okay?” 

Kakashi smiled under his scarf. “Of course.” He got up despite his protesting muscles, then made his way out into the dirty and dusty street of the shitty town that Tsunade was apparently staying in for a while.

He stopped at a low wall to change Naruto’s diaper, carefully following all the instructions Yoshino had (tearfully) given him. He made sure to place a rag over the kid’s lap since he’d learned the hard way that sometimes he’d go while his diaper was off. Both of them really needed a bath.

Once Naruto was wiped down and had a thick layer of the cream Yoshino had insisted he put on every time and in a clean diaper, they made their way to the Jasmine. They’d passed it on the way to the casino so he didn’t have to try and figure out where it was. Naruto was eating a banana (smashing it all over his face and Kakashi’s shirt) and thankfully not crying when they approached the desk.

“I want a room next to Senju Tsunade’s.” The clerk didn’t seem to care about guest safety, because he took the money and handed him the key with a bored expression. Room 301, which meant they were on the top floor. 

Because what Kakashi really wanted right now was to climb a bunch of stairs. He took a deep breath when he got to the top. The person in 304 smelled like a very large man with a distinct lack of hygiene. Not that Kakashi could throw stones at the moment. 303 was empty, but 302 was housing two females, and he could hear them shuffling around inside.

He knocked on the door, and the people on the other side paused. There was a whispered conversation, and he rolled his eyes when the person who had to be Tsunade said, “I’ll go out the window. Tell those damn debt collectors you haven’t seen me.”

“Tsunade-shishou, wait -” a higher-pitched voice said, before sighing.

A moment later the door opened to reveal a woman who was probably only four or five years older than himself. She had short black hair, and though she was obviously surprised by the sight of an almost-toddler and filthy mercenary at her door, wasted no time falling into a fighting stance.

“Shizune? Apprentice of Senju Tsunade?”

Her eyes narrowed. “Yes?”

“Here.” He shoved Naruto at her. She took him automatically and with more than a little confusion. “You, me, and Tsunade are now responsible for keeping him happy and alive for the next few years. I’m going next door to shower and sleep. I’ll be back later.”

After making sure the hallway was empty of everyone but the three of them he summoned Pakkun, who blinked up at him. “Stay with the kid. Come get me if they try to bolt.”

“Wait!” Shizune said but he had already dropped the bag with Naruto’s supplies at her feet and keyed into his room. He slammed the door shut on her protests and staggered to the mold-infested shower for a quick but thorough wash. A chunk of banana fell from his hair at some point and plopped onto the tiles.

He dried himself and pulled on pants and a shirt before falling face-first onto the bed. It was dark when pounding on his door woke him, with the lovely backdrop of wailing baby. He thought he’d probably gotten about five hours of sleep. 

He felt less on the verge of death now but still wasn’t even close to well-rested, and when he flung open the door he didn’t even try to hide his ire. He quickly schooled his expression into bored disinterest when he saw who was on the other side. 

Senju Tsunade was beautiful and terrifying in equal measure and was no less intimidating with a crying thirteen-month-old on her hip. “You! What the hell do you think you’re playing at, trying to get free babysitting from a couple of respectable women?”

“It’s not babysitting if it’s yours.”

She paused in her ranting, taken off guard before her brow furrowed. “I think I would remember if I had a kid in the past few years!”

Kakashi knew she could smite him with a flick of her finger, and the reminder that she could have prevented so much if she’d just been around caused a flare of temper. “Are you sure? Because you seem to have forgotten that you were the only living relative of Minato-sensei’s son.” He leaned forward. “Someone tried to kill him last week, and you  _ weren’t there _ .”

Tsunade’s lips parted slightly and she turned to Naruto, whose wails thankfully would cover any of their conversation that they were stupidly having in the hallway. His teary blue eyes and blonde hair left no mistake as to whose child he was. Tsunade shoved past him into the room, Shizune hot on her heels.

She slammed the door shut and held Naruto out to Kakashi. He surprisingly stopped crying once he was in Kakashi’s arms. “Explain.”

Kakashi recited the events of the past few weeks in the same tone he used for giving reports. At the end of it, her expression was thunderous. “No. I’m not going to be responsible for Konoha’s jinchuuriki. Not happening. I left that place behind for a reason.”

Kakashi’s cheek twitched. “You have no choice. It’s an order from your Hokage.”

Tsunade scoffed and crossed her arms over her chest. “Please, like the Nara kid could do anything to me.”

Kakashi smiled. “He wouldn’t try to kill you outright unless he knew he’d win. He’ll just make your life miserable.”

“He could try. I doubt he’s worse than the debt collectors.” Before Kakashi could say anything to that, she spun on her heel. “Shizune. We’re leaving.”

Kakashi sighed but didn’t move to follow them, though he didn’t miss Shizune’s apologetic grimace. He’d catch up to them, but for now, he needed to let both himself and Naruto catch up on sleep. Tsunade may be one of the Legendary Sannin, but he was already one of the best trackers in the Elemental Nations. He’d find her easily enough.

Naruto fell asleep after a meal, and Kakashi followed him. Both of them slept another six hours, with Bull and Pakkun keeping watch. After dropping off their clothes to a laundry, replenishing supplies, and picking up their now-cleaned clothes, neither of them were quite ready to head out again. He decided to let Naruto play in a park. He wasn’t an expert on children, but he knew that they needed to run off steam frequently.

It was still physically painful to watch Minato’s son so closely, but it was becoming more bearable with exposure. Being in mission-mode helped, since much of his attention was kept on their surroundings. They were vulnerable until he could catch up with Tsunade, though he was starting to doubt Shikaku’s assertion that she’d step in if there was trouble despite her annoyance with her new ‘mission.’

Naruto went into his sling with as much enthusiasm as Kakashi felt putting him there. He needed to bail before someone decided he’d kidnapped him or something, thanks to the bloodcurdling wails. He was already on the receiving end of some very disapproving looks from the mom population.

They left the dusty, gross little town behind and Kakashi stopped in some trees to summon his pack. “Dog!” Naruto stopped crying long enough to yell, and reached towards Pakkun.

“Yep, those are dogs,” Kakashi drawled, less than impressed with what Naruto obviously felt was an amazing accomplishment of deduction.

“What’s up, Boss?”

Kakashi held out a pillow he’d stolen from Tsunade’s room. “Track these women.” They huddled around him and sniffed eagerly at the fabric.

“Okay, we got it!”

“Give me a second.” He pulled Naruto from the sling and set him on the ground. Pakkun backed up with an alarmed expression when Naruto started toddling towards them with obvious determination. “Watch the kid for a second.”

“What?” Pakkun said faintly while Bull crept towards Naruto’s outstretched hands on his young, gangly legs and sniffed at one. 

“Dog!” Naruto squealed and slapped his nose in an over-enthusiastic pat. Bull scrambled away and Naruto became focused on his new game: catch the terrified puppies.

“Nin-dogs, my ass,” Kakashi grumbled as he pulled out a small garden rake and stick. The ground was moist under the trees since a tiny stream popped out of the ground for a few feet before disappearing back between the rocks. They were close to the border of Earth and Wind Country, which meant water was becoming scarce.

He pushed the tongs into the ground and started banging on the handle, working his way up and down the gardening implement. He was a highly deadly tool, forged from blood and pain and the Will of Fire. He shouldn’t be perfecting the art of  _ worm charming. _ Thank god this was a highly classified ongoing mission. His peers would never stop laughing at him if they knew.

Except for Gai. He would try to make a contest out of it. Actually, Kakashi could use that to his advantage. He spent some time daydreaming about buckets of worms delivered to his feet by a panting Gai who would, of course, look completely triumphant about it. A strange ache filled his chest and Kakashi realized after a moment that it was homesickness. 

A yelp and excited giggle pulled his attention and he sighed and spent a few minutes freeing one of his pack from Naruto’s grasping fingers. “No, you need to be gentle,” he said in the same stern tone he used while training puppies. “Like this.”

He gently ran his hand over Bull’s fur then guided Naruto’s hand to do the same. “Dog?” he said when Bull relaxed.

“That’s right, they won’t mind playing if you’re gentle.”

He left a beaming Naruto to collect the small pile of worms that were now flopping around in the dirt. It wasn’t enough to last through a jaunt across a desert so he moved to another spot and did the whole process over again. The dogs were now sitting in a circle around Naruto, heads cocked to the side while he crawled from one to another and awkwardly petted each of them. 

He looked over and caught Kakashi’s eye. “Dog!” he said proudly and Kakashi smiled and nodded, even when his throat felt like it was closing up at the way his eyes lit up just the way Minato-sensei’s used to when he figured out a tricky jutsu.

A few minutes later he placed the now-full bag of worms next to a tree, then moved over to pick up Naruto. He started to fuss and Kakashi shoved one of the bunch of bananas he’d bought into his hand. “Alright, we’re tracking, now. Watch closely and maybe you’ll learn something,” he said. His distraction technique seemed to work because Naruto turned as he took a messy bite and watched with interest when the pack scattered, noses to the ground.

A few minutes later Pakkun’s recognizable yip sounded across the barren landscape and through the branches of the scraggly trees they were surrounded by. Kakashi’s anxiety faded while he fell into the familiar role of tracker. Every once in a while he’d explain what he was doing in a low, soothing tone usually reserved for his pack to Naruto. It didn’t completely stop the tears but it did seem to help.

They had to stop for a diaper change and general clean-up twice and Naruto fell asleep against his chest at mid-day. Kakashi had created a headwrap for him out of one of his shirts to protect his sensitive skin from the sun.

Tsunade was, unsurprisingly, fast and good at hiding her trail. No doubt she was familiar with his family’s skill at tracking. They ended up making camp right on the edge of Wind and Earth. Kakashi didn’t sleep a wink and only stayed for a few hours before picking up a fussy Naruto and leaving before a patrol came upon them. 

Sand was technically their ally and had a small enough force that keeping an eye on all of Wind was impossible, but Kakashi didn’t underestimate his rotten luck. Fighting while trying to protect Naruto would be difficult, and a flash of anger at Tsunade had him gritting his teeth. She had to know how dangerous it was for Naruto to be so close to Earth Country.

He was sure she did it on purpose, thinking that he wouldn’t dare follow her there. She must not realize just how desperate their situation was. 

They caught up to them as the sun was setting on the second day after their less-than-stellar introduction. Kakashi didn’t bother approaching their camp. Tsunade’s glare burned holes into the side of his head as he laid out a bedroll twenty feet away and took Naruto to a stream in the small oasis they were in. 

He was looking around at the plants with wide eyes and Kakashi stripped down to his pants and took off all Naruto’s clothes before setting him in the shallows, making sure he was in the shade. It was warm enough that Naruto just squealed happily and started splashing.

“Bull. Pakkun. Make sure his head doesn’t go under the water.”

“Got it, Boss.” He rolled his eyes when they bounded into the pond and sprayed Naruto with water. He laughed and slapped his hand against the surface and Kakashi let out a breath of relief before ducking under the water and scrubbing at his hair and torso. 

When he emerged, Naruto was still playing with the nin-dogs and Tsunade was standing on the bank about a foot away from him, hands on her hips and foot tapping. Kakashi ignored her in favor of wading to the edge where he’d set a pile of their clothes and grabbed a shirt and block of the scentless soaps that ANBU gave out for missions.

“What the hell are you doing here? This is the worst place for him to be!” She pointed at Naruto and then barely dodged a few drops of water from an enthusiastic splash.

“Yeah, well, not my fault this is where you decided to go.”

“You didn’t have to follow me.”

“We both know that isn’t true.”

They were distracted by a larger splash than before and Kakashi’s heart went to his throat. Naruto had toppled over into the water from where he’s been standing with the assistance of Bull. He went under for less than a few seconds before the large dog used a paw to straighten him.

Kakashi and Tsunade both froze as he sputtered and coughed and wiped at his eyes. For a long moment, Naruto looked around with large eyes and Kakashi readied himself for a crying fit. Humans and dogs alike all relaxed when his mouth stretched into a smile and he clumsily hugged Bull.

Tsunade’s expression didn’t exactly soften but there was something kinder in her eyes when she looked back over at Kakashi. “I told you, I’m not taking on two brats just because your newest idiot in a hat demands it!”

She stalked back to her camp where Shizune was cooking something over the fire and sending them concerned looks. Kakashi just sighed and moved over to scrub the grime from Naruto.

They settled into their own camp and a now-dry Bull curled up next to Naruto in the bedroll. Shizune had brought over some stew and had promised to watch over them as well for the second half of the night. Kakashi wanted to protest, but he was too exhausted and they both knew it. After surreptitiously sniffing at the food to check for drugs or poisons, he accepted it gratefully.

Kakashi hoped that Shikaku knew what he was doing, or he and Naruto were seriously screwed.

000

“Here.” Kakashi looked up from where he was trying to keep a wriggling Naruto still while wrestling a fresh diaper on him. Shizune was holding a plate full of steaming rice and vegetables out to him. After a pause, he motioned with his head to put it on a large rock next to him. He was hungry enough to let her keep feeding him.

He’d slept very lightly the night before since he wasn’t yet willing to trust that Shizune and Tsunade wouldn’t incapacitate him and leave him alone close to enemy territory with an infant jinchuuriki. As a result, he had slept in and he wouldn’t have time for anything except dried fruit and meat. Naruto was still covered in the remnants of his breakfast - mashed up bananas and bits of boiled chicken leftover from yesterday.

Shizune set the plate down, then moved to wiggle her fingers over Naruto, effectively distracting him from his fussing. She smiled when he reached out and batted at her hand, babbling away in the almost-talk he and Shikamaru had been using in the past month or so, with a “No!” or “Dog!” thrown in every once in a while for good measure.

Tsunade was standing at the edge of their former camp, arms crossed under her chest and foot tapping impatiently while she glared daggers at them. “Don’t mind your Auntie Tsunade,” Shizune crooned. “She’s just a grump in the mornings.”

Naruto giggled and Kakashi wrestled the last tie of the cloth into place. “Thanks,” he mumbled. 

“You seemed like you could use the help. Go ahead and eat, I’ll watch him.”

Kakashi tilted his head and looked at her. She was only a few years older than him, and her kind nature was unexpected, considering she’d been raised by the woman currently glaring daggers at them. “Why would you help us? Won’t it get you in trouble with your master?”

Shizune smiled and her hair swung when she shook her head as if he’d said something ridiculous. “Come on, little one.” She hefted Naruto up into her arms. “I know she seems uncaring, but that’s only because she hides it so well. Don’t worry, she’ll come around.”

He glanced over at where Tsunade was idly kicking at a boulder, leaving perfect foot-sized indents behind when she pulled the appendage back. She did not seem like a woman who was close to ‘coming around.’ He stood up and started pulling the diapers he’d cleaned the night before off a clothesline he’d put together with ninja wire. He felt like half his life was doing laundry these days. “Uh huh. And you don’t mind having a baby foisted on you?” 

“I know what it’s like to be left all alone.” He looked over at her sober tone. Even Naruto had quieted down and was staring up at her with serious blue eyes. “Tsunade saved me from that. I think it’s time I paid my good fortune forward.” She smiled softly at Naruto and he was back to his happy giggles and babbling.

Kakashi just grunted, still not convinced that she’d be singing the same tune in a few days if Tsunade kept up with her bad attitude. He packed up the rest of their camp and ate his breakfast as quickly as he could. By the time he’d washed the plate and put Naruto in his carrier Tsunade looked ready to kill them all.

“We’re wasting daylight! I want to get to that casino before nightfall.”

Shizune sighed but didn’t argue. “We’re making our way towards a village in Bear Country. We know for a fact that Danzo’s fingers don’t reach there.”

Kakashi wondered if it had been Tsunade’s plan all along to take them to Bear Country where they’d be able to lay low, or if she’d truly thought she could lose them by skirting so close to Earth that he would chicken out. If he hadn’t been so desperate he would have. Then again, it wasn’t a direction Danzo would expect them to go and Tsunade had to know that. He shook his head and had to admit he didn’t know her well enough to decipher why she made certain decisions.

He was forced to run to catch up since Tsunade wasn’t interested in waiting for him to give his summons orders for the day. He wanted them to scout to the sides and ahead of their party to make sure nobody flanked them. The last thing he needed was somebody spotting them with Tsunade before he was able to discuss the cover the Hokage had come up with for Kakashi and Naruto.

They ran for two hours before Naruto started fussing. He signaled to Shizune to let her know what he was doing and to his relief, they both slowed when he did.

“Diaper change?” Shizune called while Tsunade grumbled about lost daylight and stomped off behind a sand dune. 

“He needs a snack and some water, I think,” Kakashi mumbled.

Naruto was a sweaty mess beneath the t-shirt Kakashi was still using to protect him from the sun. It wasn’t surprising, considering they were officially in desert country. He sat down in the meager shade offered by a cactus and frowned at Naruto’s flushed cheeks and long wails.

“He’s not used to heat like this,” he finally said. 

“No, he wouldn’t be.” Shizune knelt down next to them and started rummaging around in her medical bag while Kakashi gave Naruto crackers and some water after changing him. She pulled out a cloth and poured water over it before placing it on his sweaty forehead.

Ten minutes later Naruto was sleeping fitfully and the flush in his cheeks had gone down. Kakashi swallowed and pushed a lock of blonde hair away from his forehead while Shizune busied herself by holding a hand over his chest.

“Is he okay?” He hated the way his voice wavered, but Shizune just smiled at him, reassurance in every line of her body.

“He’s just fine, Kakashi. A little overheated but I’m helping his system cool down. We’ll be at the village by the end of the day. It won’t be comfortable for him but he’ll recover.”

Tsunade had wandered closer as they fussed over the baby, and Kakashi thought he saw her shoulders relax at the words. “If you’re done playing nursemaid, let’s go,” she snapped before turning and stalking away.

Shizune squeezed Kakashi’s shoulder before standing and scrambling to follow. Kakashi closed his eyes and breathed deeply a few times to prevent himself from saying something he’d regret to Tsunade. The next few years were going to be an exercise in patience if he could even get the woman to accept their presence.

It was a very fussy Naruto that he carried through the gates of Watane, a small but obviously wealthy village that made most of its money from the three casinos situated around the town. Kakashi had caught up to Tsunade and Shizune five minutes ago to give a hurried explanation. “I’m a mercenary named Kashi that you hired to take care of your day-to-day business and deal with debt collectors. This is my godson Naru.”

Tsunade took in his eyepatch, large straw hat, and his black pants and long-sleeved shirt before snorting. “Yeah, okay,  _ Kashi.” _ Luckily she hadn’t argued further.

“By the way,” Kakashi said just as they passed through the gates, “the Hokage said he’d pay off your debts if you took us in.”

He ignored Tsunade’s gobsmacked expression and sauntered past them, not even the sound of Naruto’s fussing enough to take away from his pleasure at having hit was he was sure was the deathblow to her protests. She might rail against their presence and never do more than glare and complain about them, but he doubted she’d turn down such an offer.

He’d sent the suggestion to the Hokage after he’d overheard their conversation about debt collectors, and he’d just heard back on one of the many breaks they’d needed to take to attend to Naruto. It made anger bubble up inside of him - Konoha could scarcely afford extra expenses right now, which meant it would probably come from Shikaku’s personal fortune. How dare she take money from someone who had already lost so much?

Kakashi was currently sure of two things: one, he wasn't parenting material, and two, Senju Tsunade had no honor to speak of.

000

They’d been in Watane for a week before Tsunade caved and agreed to Shikaku’s terms. “You can stay with us and I’ll protect...the baby if he needs it, but don’t expect me to babysit.”

Kakashi looked up from where he’d been playing a rousing game of ‘build a tower of blocks so Naruto could knock it down.’ So far his plans of foisting his day-to-day care on Shizune and Tsunade had not gone well. Shizune was too busy running after Tsunade and keeping her out of trouble, and Tsunade was too busy trying her best to not even look at Naruto.

“Fine,” he said as curtly as he could despite the relief making his limbs numb. Tsunade may not be very likable but she was Hokage-strong and having her offer Naruto protection and a place to hide was no small thing.

“Fine,” she said after a pause, probably waiting for some sort of sign that he was grateful. Well, she’d be waiting for a long time, then. “I’m going out. There’s money on the counter for groceries and I expect you to make dinner tonight,  _ Kashi.” _

He gritted his teeth. Naruto needed her which meant Kakashi would just have to deal with her attitude until it was safe to go home again. “No problem,  _ Princess _ Tsunade.”

He regretted using the title almost immediately when the color drained from her face. He supposed she hadn’t been called that for a long time and it was probably a reminder of all the reasons she’d left in the first place. “Shizune doesn’t like spicy things,” she muttered before turning around and stomping back towards her room. She paused at the threshold. “And don’t call me that again,” she added before slamming the door hard enough that a crack formed down the middle of the wood.

“Crash!” Naruto yelled just before he slapped his hand against the block tower and sent them flying.

“Yeah, crash is right,” Kakashi muttered. 

000

He didn’t see much of Tsunade for the next four weeks. They had rented a small apartment that consisted of two bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a small kitchen and living room. The money had come from Kakashi, of course, but Shikaku was providing him a generous stipend for living expenses. He’d usually find it on his nightstand the morning after he’d left out the bag of worms. It was more than a little disconcerting that something was sneaking into his room at night without him waking, but he resisted the urge to have Bull or Pakun keep watch and catch the person doing it. Shikaku had been very clear on leaving his mysterious ally their anonymity. Kakashi had started leaving reports for his Hokage next to the worms which were always gone along with the wriggling bags in the mornings, so he assumed they were making it to Shikaku.

Along with the stipend, he started receiving packets of money with instructions on which of Tsunade’s creditors they should be paid to. Kakashi should have known that Shikaku would get all the facts before paying out. He wasn’t stupid enough to give the money directly to Tsunade so he handed it off to Shizune, who would then disappear for a day or two in order to deliver to the correct people.

Kakashi sighed down at his to-do list. Tsunade had taken his cover story to heart and liked to leave ‘Kashi’ a list of tasks to complete each day. He tucked the paper into his shirt pocket and went about the task of getting Naruto ready for the day.

“Kashi!” Naruto said with his usual blinding grin and his chest tightened the way it always did at his shining blue eyes and blonde hair.

“Good morning, Naru,” he said before moving to help him out of the crib he’d found at a second-hand store. He and Shizune had been working on getting him used to answering to the ‘nickname.’ He’d tell Naruto his full name when he was old enough to know to keep it to himself, but for now, he’d stick to their cover names and story when around him.

“I wonder how old you have to be before we can potty train you,” he mumbled when he saw the mess that his diaper was. Kakashi may be a hardened shinobi who didn’t flinch at the sight of guts and blood but changing diapers was still something he’d rather never, ever do.

“Potty,” Naruto said seriously and Kakashi eyed him. There was no way he was old enough. Was he? He’d have to ask Shizune when she returned from her most recent payoff.

He dressed Naruto in a pair of linen pants and shirt (also from the second-hand shop) before lifting him into the carrier and heading out. The village wasn’t in the desert but it was close enough that the heat was still unbearable afternoon, so Kakashi tried to finish his various tasks before then.

“Hello, Kashi and Naru,” the old woman who owned the cart of baked goods stationed just outside of their small house said. 

“Hello, Aunt Jei,” Kashi said, his words muffled slightly by his ever-present scarf and mask. 

“The usual?” He nodded and accepted two rolls filled with sausage and eggs after dropping a few coins on the counter.

“What are you up to today?” Aunt Jei asked, reaching out to tickle Naruto’s belly until he giggled and batted her hand away.

“Have to pick up some tea and vegetables for dinner.” Kakashi resisted the urge to shift in impatience. It was important to come across as a friendly if slightly aloof former mercenary, but small talk made his skin crawl.

“Well, I won’t keep you. It’s gonna be a hot one today.”  _ When isn’t it in this godforsaken town? _

“Sure is. Thanks, Aunt Jei.” He ate as he walked, idly wondering if Shizune would be back by that evening. Most nights she agreed to keep an eye on Naruto after the sun went down so Kakashi could go to a small valley he’d found positioned between two tall, rocky hills and train. 

It took him a few minutes to realize Naruto wasn’t eating with his usual gusto. He nibbled listlessly at his breakfast and Kakashi frowned. “Not hungry, Naru?” he said mildly and Naruto’s face scrunched up.

“No,” he said, though Kakashi wasn’t sure if he said it because he understood and was responding to the question, or if it was just his current obsession with the word ‘no’ that was responsible. He sighed when Naruto threw the bun on the ground.

“Right,” he muttered. “Let’s go get some tea for your grumpy Aunt Tsunade, huh?”

Naruto perked up. “Grumpy Tsune!”  

Kakashi hoped that wouldn’t come back to bite him. They made their way down to the tea shop. Naruto fussed until he took him out of his carrier and let him toddle next to him towards the vegetable stalls down the streets, though he picked him up again despite his protests while they walked past one of the casinos. You never knew when an angry drunk who had just lost his week’s pay at the tables would stagger out, even at nine in the morning. 

By the time he picked out the ingredients for the stir fry he planned to make that evening (they were lucky he was so self-sufficient and actually knew how to cook) Naruto was wailing. Kakashi did his best to soothe him but nothing he did was working. “Shh, you’re fine, Naru, we’re almost home -”

“No! No home!”

“We can take a nice bath -”

“No bath! No!” 

“But you love baths...” Kakashi said, trailing off as Naruto started thrashing against his carrier and his screaming took on a new level of loud.

“No! No!”

Kakashi cringed and ignored the judgemental looks the people around him were leveling at them. Too bad he couldn’t give away that he was a shinobi by body flickering home. He gave up on calming Naruto and concentrated on walking as fast as his supposedly-civilian feet would take them. 

Was he too hot? His diaper was slightly wet but not enough to cause this level of discontent. Well, he hadn’t eaten a lot of breakfast. Kakashi would give him a banana when they got home and then a bath. After that, they’d play with the stuffed animal collection they’d acquired courtesy of Shizune. He nodded once in satisfaction at his plan as he unlocked the front door. That should take care of the crying.

It didn’t take care of the crying. Kakashi was covered in banana and bathwater, his ears were ringing, and he was on the verge of a breakdown himself. “Why?” he muttered, his bouncing a bit frantic while he patted at Naruto’s back. “Why won’t you  _ stop crying?” _

“Noooooo,” Naruto said in response.

The day took on a theme after that. Naruto screamed with small fifteen minute breaks every hour and a half where he dropped off into a doze to recover. If Kakashi dared to put him down he’d wake up and his wails would (somehow) take on an even more desperate pitch.

“Are you too hot? You feel hot,” he muttered down at him, taking in his flushed cheeks and glazed eyes with alarm.

“Oh god, don’t be sick, please don’t be sick.”  Kakashi’s heartbeat picked up and he licked his lips, the fabric of his mask damp against his tongue. It was cool in the house, but his body felt overly warm - though Naruto’s felt warmer still in his arms. “Where are you, Shizune?”

He paced back and forth in the living room. The door to the room Shizune and Tsunade shared was open and he could see there was nobody there. “I knew I would mess this up,” Kakashi said and yep, his eyes were definitely wet. He realized distantly that this was the first time he’d cried since Minato died as a drop fell on his cheek. “It’s okay,” he said and his voice caught. “I’m sorry, I let you down, I’m so sorry.” His whispers were drowned out by Naruto’s cries and the tightness in his throat increased. He didn’t know what to  _ do. _ He couldn’t take Naruto to a village doctor - what if they noticed something was different about him?

He tried to force himself to calm down and  _ think _  but it was hard with Naruto screaming and burning up in his arms. His legs gave out and he sat down hard on the couch. He looked down at Naruto, eyes searching for any indication of what was causing his distress. “Don’t die,” he said in a ragged voice. His own tears were soaking into his mask. “Please, don’t die.”

“What the hell is going on here?” Kakashi’s head snapped up. He’d never have thought he’d be happy to hear Tsunade’s sharp voice but when he saw her standing in the doorway, hands on her hips and scowling over at them, he felt hope bloom in his chest. “The neighbor said the kid’s been crying for hours! What do you think you’re -”

“Please help him,” Kakashi said, standing and stumbling towards her. She backed up and her eyes widened when she took in what Kakashi could only assume was his very haggard appearance. “Something’s wrong. He’s too hot and he won’t stop crying.” His voice broke on the last word and her alarm seemed to grow.

For the first time since they joined her, Tsunade focused all her attention on Naruto. “Shizune...”

“Gone. Out paying  _ your _ debts,” he spat, bitterness welling. If it weren’t for Tsunade’s bad decisions Kakashi wouldn’t have been alone and helpless while Naruto was hurting.

For a long moment, he thought she would turn around and walk back out. Her hands were shaking and her gaze was darting around as though looking for an escape. “Please,” he said, tucking his anger away. “Please, he can’t die. He  _ can’t.” _

Tsunade’s shoulders slumped and Kakashi almost started crying all over again, but this time it was in relief. “Fine, put him on the couch and take off his shirt. Get me a cool towel, he’s obviously running a fever.”

Kakashi did as she asked, though Naruto’s increased cries at being set down pierced right through him. “I’ll be right back, Naruto, I promise.”

He must have taken too long to move because Tsunade shouldered him out of the way to kneel next to the squirming baby. “Get the towel, kid,” she said in a gentler tone than he’d ever heard from her before. That more than anything told him how pathetic he must look right now.

His hands shook as he ran cold water over the clean dish towel and by the time he returned Tsunade was pressing a stethoscope to Naruto’s chest. Kakashi blinked down at the black medical bag open next to her - where had that come from? Did she keep one sealed on her person at all times? That was...interesting, considering he’d heard that she’d forsaken her calling as a medic along with her one as a shinobi.

“His breathing is fine. You can lay that on his chest, now.” 

He did as she asked and watched as she put a thermometer in Naruto’s ear. “He’s running a fever, alright, but it’s not dangerous yet. I can give him something to bring it down.”

He let out a breath - he’d been worried about that. He had enough first aid training to know a high fever could cause a lot of problems. She looked in both ears with a light, then ran her fingers over his neck before sitting back. She was pale, but her expression was that of a medic in her zone - cool and thoughtful.

“He has an ear infection.”

Kakashi blinked. “That’s it?”

She glared up at him. “Ear infections are extremely painful and can cause hearing loss if not caught in time.”

His eyes widened and she held up a hand, looking more tired than angry now. “It’s fine, we caught it in plenty of time. Plus, I’m sure the Kyuubi would heal any damage that occurred. I doubt he’d have had the infection come morning, in fact. I think once he’s older he won’t have to worry about getting sick at all.” She was talking more to herself, now, and didn’t protest when Kakashi picked Naruto up and hugged him against his chest. He was fine, he was  _ fine. _

“So what do we do?”

Her attention snapped back to him and he felt distinctly uncomfortable under her sharp gaze. “I’ll make him something for his fever and some drops that should relieve the swelling and pain in his ear. It won’t completely take away his discomfort, though, so don’t plan on getting a lot of sleep tonight.”

“That’s fine,” Kakashi said and this time when he sat it was because he was so relieved that his limbs felt like jelly. “So he’s okay.”

She stood. “He’s fine. It’s a normal thing for babies.”

“Oh,” Kakashi said, shame for his overreaction rising in his chest. He knew he’d be terrible at this. Yoshino would have known exactly what was happening instead of panicking.

A hand on his shoulder pulled his attention to Tsunade, who had paused next to him and was looking straight forward. “Everybody panics with their first kid, don’t beat yourself up.”

Before he could react to her kindness she was already across the room and starting up the stove. He busied himself by going into the bathroom and cleaning both of them up. His eyes were swollen and red and strangely, he felt as though some of the weight he’d been carrying around had lifted with the bout of tears. He did his best to smile down at Naruto who was now whimpering and on the verge of falling back into one of his mini-naps.

When they came back out with freshly washed faces the smell of garlic and something sharp and pungent that was probably the medicine for the fever was filling the air. Kakashi wondered how many other people had aunts who could just whip up complicated medications over a stovetop. Not many, he’d bet. By the time Naruto woke up Tsunade was ready with a spoonful of syrupy medicine that he took with minimal fussing and ear drops that he took with a  _ lot _ of fussing.

“There. The medicine should make him drowsy. Give it to him every four hours,” she said, standing and avoiding his gaze.

“Tsunade. Thank you,” Kakashi managed to say. 

She looked down at him. His breath caught at the pain and fear in her gaze, so familiar to what he saw in the mirror every day. “Don’t mention it,” she whispered. “Seriously.”

Before he could come up with a reply to that depressing statement, Naruto warbled out in slurred baby words, “Grumpy Tsunade.”

Her eyes narrowed and Kakashi gulped. “Uh,” he said when she cracked her knuckles. “I have no idea where he picked that up.”

After a moment she just shook her head. “Whatever. I’m going to bed. I’m entering a tournament tomorrow at the Fey Casino.”

“Of course you are,” Kakashi muttered and didn’t try to stop her when she swept into her room and closed the door softly behind her.

He reached out and ran a finger down Naruto’s cheek. “You and me are going to be just fine,” he said. For the first time in over a year, he thought he might actually believe it.

000

“Alright, boss, you ready to try this again?”

Shikaku studied the four shadow clones Genma had created, then cracked his neck. “Yeah, let’s do this.”

He’d been steadily working through the box of scrolls Minato had left for him. Most of them were small seals or jutsu he’d created that would make life as a Hokage in general easier. The one that allowed him to see through his office door to know who was in the waiting area before Aska had to tell him was particularly useful in building his reputation as the all-knowing Hokage.

Some of them, however, were more complicated and infinitely more useful. Minato had left him the instructions on how to master Flying Thunder God.  _ All _ of them, not just the simple use he’d taught Genma. Though Shikaku could see why he didn’t bother passing it on to others - you had to have an almost genius level of intellect, a good amount of power and chakra control, and perfect recall to use them the way Minato had. He doubted he’d ever have the speed to use it as effectively as his old friend had, but it was certainly a useful tool on the battlefield. 

“Ready?” Genma asked.

Shikaku wiggled his fingers to make sure his grip on the kunai he was holding between his them was solid before nodding.

“Alright,” Genma said and began to count down from five. Shikaku widened his stance and his eyes flicked back and forth between the clones as they flickered across the clearing, spreading out and changing their positions as much as possible.

“...Three, two, one.” 

Shikaku twisted and let the marked kunai in his hands fly, sending them to strategic spots that would hopefully get him close to each clone. He drew another breath as he activated the first seal, his stomach lurching in a way he was still getting used to as his body was pulled through space and time. The scenery flickered and his feet hit the ground. It was disorienting and he had to move according to what his memory of the battlefield looked like upon activation and the mental calculation of where this particular kunai would be in its trajectory at this specific moment.

He spun towards what he remembered was the north and stabbed forward with the blade. Genma’s clone’s eyes widened before popping out of existence in a cloud of smoke. He was already activating the second seal, which yanked him across the clearing to land in front of the next clone, which he took out with a quick jab before he let himself be tugged away again. His stomach was attempting to rebel, but he held back the remnants of his dinner with the iron will he was so well-known for in the forces.

He had to flip back to avoid the third clone’s tanto. He landed in a crouch and threw the kunai into its stomach. He didn’t wait around for the smoke to clear.

Shikaku dashed forward before activating the next seal, knowing he’d need to be moving when he landed to take out the last clone fast enough to beat his current best time. It only took a moment after being yanked to the edge of the clearing to realize he’d miscalculated. Genma’s clone smirked right before Shikaku barrelled through it at breathtaking speeds - and right into the small tree it had been standing in front of.

It exploded in a shower of wood and leaves that mixed with the smoke of the dispelled shadow clone.  _ Ouch, _ he thought before he hit the ground on his back, bouncing once and skidding a good five feet before he used chakra to slow his slide. Dirt and needles flew into his face and down his shirt, though he’d reflexively saved his hair from getting messy with a layer of chakra - something he’d perfected when he was only twelve years old and got tired of Ensui managing to rub grime into it every five seconds.

He stared up at the sky and thanked his lucky stars that they were deep in the Nara forest where nobody could see his undignified landing. Minata was probably laughing his ass off, wherever he was.

Actually...Shikaku lifted his head when he realized he was hearing laughter right there in the clearing, grimacing at the furrow he’d left in the dirt and the now-ruined tree before he focused on Genma and the figure next to him. He sighed when he realized it was Yoshino. Her hand was covering her mouth and her shoulders were shaking with mirth.

“That was quite the landing, boss,” Genma said after they’d walked over. “Injuries?”

“Only my pride,” Shikaku grumbled before sitting up, wincing at the dirt that slid against his skin.

Genma grinned around his senbon. “You would have beaten your last time if you hadn’t forgotten about the tree.”

Shikaku just waved his hand in the air. “Yeah, I got too focused on the clones and didn’t pay enough attention to the landscape. Clever, having your clone line up with a tree that way.”

Genma shrugged. “Minato played that trick on me when he was teaching me. The lesson stuck.”

“I bet it did,” Shikaku grumbled. “That’s enough practice for tonight. Why don’t you and the ANBU take the night off? We’ve got Ensui staying with us tonight, we’ll be fine.”

“He’s watching Shikamaru right now,” Yoshino added, stepping forward now that she was sure their practice session was over.

Genma hesitated but after glancing between them nodded once. He must have picked up on Shikaku’s wish to be alone with his wife. “You got it. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

He blurred away and Yoshino knelt next to Shikaku. He sighed dramatically when he saw she was trying to hold back laughter. “Yeah, yeah, laugh it up. I know you want to.”

His own lips twitched when she threw back her head and did just that. It had been months since he’d seen her this happy. Since he'd been forced to send their son away, actually, though Kakashi's frequent reports helped. He wasn't sure if the kid thought he was just being thorough including every time Naruto got a new toy or succeeded in getting a smile out of Tsunade or if he just knew how much the day-to-day minutiae soothed their fears and heartache, but either way, he was grateful. 

“Oh, Shikaku, I’m sorry. It’s just not very often I see you looking that undignified,” she said after she’d calmed down and wiped the tears from her eyes.

He was leaning back on his hands, enjoying the warmth that her joy brought to his chest. “What if I was hurt, huh? You’d feel terrible for laughing.” He stuck his lower lip out and she leaned forward with mock concern.

“Oh, no. Whatever can I do to help, Lord Hokage?” she purred.

“Well,” he made a show of looking thoughtful before grabbing her and pulling her so that she overbalanced and landed in his lap. He leaned forward until their lips were almost touching. “I can think of a few things.”

He cut off her reply with a kiss, and they didn’t say anything else for a good long while.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shikaku's helplessness in the face of small, adorable things gets him into a situation he would have rather avoided, and the moles have a breakthrough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter warning for discussions of trauma

“No.”

Fugaku’s lips thinned at Shikaku’s implacable tone. Usually, Shikaku could count on him to accept his decisions without fuss, but this time he seemed unwilling to back down. “The Uchiha clan needs this. If we can provide a prodigy to the village, someone who will be seen as one of the great protectors of the future -”

“You would sacrifice your own son’s childhood for this? For some political goodwill?”

Fugaku straightened his spine. The dim lighting coming in through Shikaku’s office window made the lines on his face deeper and highlighted the dark circles under his eyes. The past eighteen months had been harder on him than most. “You know it’s not that simple. Itachi is strong, he is -”

“He is _six._ He’s not ready to graduate from the Academy. To drop him into the realities of being a shinobi, especially during these troubled times, would destroy him. I cannot approve an early graduation. We’ve seen the consequences too many times to keep repeating the same mistake.”

Shikaku didn’t jump when Fugaku slammed his fist down on his desk, mostly because he’d been expecting an outburst. The Uchiha had been pushed too far, the stress had become too much.  The report that Shikaku had gotten from Itachi’s academy teachers requesting that he be allowed to graduate after only a few months in the program fluttered and his pen jumped and clattered across the surface of the wood. Fugaku remained hunched over the desk, lips twisted. “We are on the verge of being run out of the village! Things cannot stand as they are. We must take every step we can to prevent the bloodshed we both see coming.”

Shikaku leaned forward and placed his fingertips on the desk so there was only a foot of space between their faces. “It’s been getting better. We’re close to taking care of the source of the discontent -”

“Yet people’s hearts will still hold the shadows of doubt! It can’t just be erased by killing someone, Shikaku.” Fugaku straightened and strode across the room to look out the window, hands clenching and unclenching at his sides. It was the biggest loss of control Shikaku had ever seen from the generally stoic man. “You cannot think I want to throw my son into the middle of this. Yet, I must prove that the Uchiha are an integral part of the village. I must give them something positive to latch onto. You know how bad it’s gotten, Shikaku. People spit at us in the streets and treat us as though we are traitors. You think I’m doing this despite Itachi’s mental well-being. But I’m trying to repair this rift _for_ my sons, and for all the other sons and daughters of my clan.”

His office chair creaked beneath him when Shikaku dropped down into it. He tapped his lower lip with one finger as he thought. Fugaku was right, of course, but he had sworn to himself that he would not send children out to die while he was the Hokage. It would feel like a betrayal of the worst kind to Minato’s memory. Yet he was losing the Uchiha - the village was losing the Uchiha - and eventually, Fugaku would have to bow under the pressure of his clan or his village. Or break under it. He could only imagine where they would end up after that.

He looked down at Itachi’s paperwork again, though he’d already memorized it. He was a prodigy among prodigies, plain and simple. “He needs friends his own age.”

“He’s bored and the other children either idolize him or resent him,” Fugaku said flatly. “The Academy is not giving him anything positive.”

“I cannot in good conscience send your son out on missions. You know why.”

Fugaku turned back towards him and Shikaku wanted to flinch at the flash of betrayal he saw before his mask fell into place. “I see. Please forgive me for my outburst.”

“Fugaku, wait a moment -”

“Lord Hokage,” he said before bowing and gliding out of the room. The door snicked quietly shut behind him while somehow giving the impression it had been slammed. Shikaku leaned over and thumped his forehead again the wood of his desk.

“Well, that went well,” Ensui said just before dropping down out of a crawl space in the ceiling. He took off his Snake mask that had come with his promotion and moved over to swipe up Itachi’s records and peruse them.

“Yeah, I have no idea how I’m going to smooth this over with Fugaku. You know what he’s like.”

Ensui just hummed and when Shikaku looked up, his expression was too neutral for him _not_ to have an opinion. “Alright, Snake, out with it.”

Ensui’s lips twitched. “You want my opinion as your ANBU or as your brother?”

“As a clan head, but with the brutal honesty of a brother, please.”

Ensui set down the paperwork and tapped it. “You need more information. Your reaction was understandable considering our goals but it was also knee-jerk. You should put more trust into Fugaku to know his son and the Academy teachers to understand the children they teach. However, the village still has the mentality of a nation at war, so Itachi will need some protection from being forced into too much, too fast. Avoiding the problem won’t make it go away. You need to solve this, and quickly.”

Shikaku looked up at the ceiling and thought through what Ensui had said. It wasn’t often he acted without thinking, but then, there were many things he’d quietly disagreed with when he was lower on the food chain. Things he’d realized were necessary even as he thought that the village should have drawn some lines in the sand. Now that he had the chance to effect change, he may have gotten overzealous. Something to keep an eye on lest it come back to smack him in the face later.

He hadn’t even been looking at Itachi as an individual when he decided to refuse the request. He’d been focused on his line in the sand. Yet there were always outliers, people who would need something different than what the average person did. Itachi could very well be one of those people. Traumatized at the age of four, when he also happened to activate his Sharingan for the first time. A prodigy who had trouble with social interaction. It was possible that leaving him in the Academy would be detrimental.

Ensui was right, as usual, annoying little brother. He needed more information.

“Alright. Snake, I want you to go get Itachi and bring him to Training Room 6 in two hours.” That would give Shikaku time to get some things set up. “Invite Fugaku to sit in the Observation room, just make sure he knows that he is not to let Itachi know he is there, and he is not to interfere. It will probably take about three hours altogether.”

Ensui slipped his mask back on and bowed down on one knee before flickering away, but not before Shikaku spotted the satisfaction in his expression. He was planning something, which never meant good things for Shikaku’s future.

He sighed and levered himself out of his chair, ignoring the twinging muscles from his most recent training session with Genma, and went to find Aska. He needed some help getting everything together as quickly and silently as he could. He wasn’t sure why, but he felt a sudden urgency around the situation, and he wasn't one to disregard his gut. There were going to be a lot of people who would try to use Itachi for their own gain. Prodigy or not he was just a kid and Shikaku didn’t want another Tenzo situation. Even after being taken under Ensui’s wing, he was still having trouble with normal human interaction.

Thirty minutes later he sauntered into T & I, a picnic basket full of Inoichi’s favorite foods swinging from one hand. He nodded at the various shinobi on duty as they murmured respectful greetings when he passed. Most of them had known him before he’d become the leader of the village since Inoichi led them and Shikaku liked to bug Inoichi.

He didn’t miss the giggles and raised eyebrows when they saw what he was carrying. Inoichi was huddled over a map that had various documents spread across it at the end of the large open room. Shikaku wasn’t surprised to find him outside of his office since Inoichi was a rather hands-on leader.

“Yo,” Shikaku said once he was close to the desk.

Inoichi glanced up at him, expression softening the way it only ever did for his wife, child, and team. Then his gaze landed on the picnic basket and his small smile dropped into a look of such annoyance that Shikaku had trouble containing his glee.

“What,” Inoichi said flatly.

“Ah, is that any way to speak to your Hokage?”

“When my Hokage is trying to make me the center of yet another round of gossip, yes,” Inoichi hissed but straightened and moved around the table to stand next to him anyway. “What do you need?” Good, dependable Inoichi.

“Need you to do an assessment on someone.”

“What, now?”

Shikaku held up the picnic basket and waved it enticingly under Inoichi’s nose while waggling his eyebrows. “This is from Daga’s.”

Inoichi’s attention was caught at that for a moment, but a wave of giggles and chuckles had him turning his glare on the room. Suddenly, everyone was very busy with their individual tasks. Shikaku grinned. Inoichi sighed.

“Fine. But I expect you to show up for drinks with Chouza and I this weekend, too.”

“You know I can’t deny you anything,” Shikaku said a little more loudly than strictly necessary.

Inoichi rubbed his forehead and took one of his signature deep, calming breaths. “Let’s just get this over with,” he muttered.

They were silent as they walked across the village to the training facilities. Shikaku led them into the observation area that was situated high above the dirt-packed area. It was tucked behind chakra glass that allowed them to look out without being seen. Inoichi’s brow wrinkled when he realized where they were, but he didn’t say anything.

Room 6 wasn’t a room at all in reality. It was actually a large arena with a ceiling that stretched up almost forty feet into the air. On one side was a complicated obstacle course that included a thirty-foot wall, mud pit, pitfalls and traps that could be triggered by the proctor, and various other obstacles. The other half of the arena was a large sparring space, with dummies and targets at the far end.

Shikaku started laying out the food he’d picked out on the table. It was well past dinnertime, after all, and he was hungry. Inoichi’s patience only lasted until they’d both made up a plate and sat at one of the low couches that would give them a good view of the arena. “So. Who am I assessing, and why is it so important that it couldn’t wait?”

“Uchiha Itachi. The Academy is recommending that he graduate early and the Uchiha are pushing me to approve it.”

Inoichi’s head snapped up and he set his chopsticks down on his plate with a click. “He’s, what, six?”

“Yes. Almost seven.”

“That’s -”

Shikaku held up a hand. “I haven’t said yes. I just want your opinion on the kid. Then we’ll discuss what we should or shouldn’t do with him.”

Inoichi huffed and Shikaku resisted the urge to rub at his temples when he realized Inoichi was going to be _difficult._ “Inoichi, I want to do what’s best for Itachi, okay? That’s why we’re here. I need your unbiased opinion on the kid’s mental state. Something he hasn’t had looked at, even after the incident that led to his activation.”

Understanding lit Inoichi’s eyes and for a moment Shikaku was worried he’d start cackling maniacally. Inoichi had been itching to set up a more stringent set of rules and support around the mental health of their shinobi for years. Of course, this wasn’t met with a lot of enthusiasm by anybody - not the clans, who liked to keep secrets close to their chests, not the shinobi, who were perfectly-fine-thank-you-very-much, and not the leadership, who didn’t want to deal with recognized mental health issues keeping their shinobi out of commission or pay for the resources needed to help them.

And here Shikaku was, offering Inoichi the chance to assess the mental health of a most-likely-traumatized Uchiha. Yep, Shikaku had him on board, now. Before Inoichi could get past his obvious joy to force out a reply, there was a soft knock on the door and Fugaku entered the room.

“Lord Hokage,” he said in a stiff tone that communicated I-have-not-forgiven-nor-forgotten pretty well. 

“Fugaku. Thanks for coming on such short notice. Please, help yourself to dinner.”

Fugaku ignored the offer in favor of pinning him with a suspicious look. “What is this about? Your ANBU simply told me you’d requested my presence while you did an assessment on Itachi.”

Shikaku shrugged. “I decided I needed more information before making a decision regarding your request.”

Fugaku's eyes narrowed in disbelief. Children, all of them. He says no _once_ and suddenly it’s _you’re ruining my life, Lord Hokage, I hate you, Lord Hokage!_ “I...see. What will this assessment entail?”

“Physical will include across-the-board by ANBU Snake, and Inoichi will be performing his mental assessment.” He shoved a large chewy-looking bite of calamari in his mouth when Fugaku straightened and unleashed the full force of his displeasure.

“My son does not need a mental evaluation.”

Shikaku looked over at Inoichi, who was obviously less than impressed about being thrown to the wolves but replied, anyway. “He does if I’m going to even consider giving the go-ahead for an early graduation.”

“The decision is not yours, it is the Hokage’s.” Ah, if tone could freeze water, they’d have plenty of ice to go with their juice. Shikaku missed sake. He pulled out a pack of gummy worms and set it next to his plate.

“The final decision is, of course, with Shikaku, but it’s dependent on my evaluation.”

Shikaku had forgotten that Inoichi and Fugaku rarely got along. He looked over at Fugaku in anticipation of his reply. His jaw was starting to hurt from all the chewing. The calamari was harder to get through than he’d expected.

Fugaku’s nostrils flared and for a moment Shikaku wondered if he was going to start slinging fireballs around. He leaned away from Inoichi just in case. After a moment, though, Fugaku took a deep breath and visibly forced himself to relax. “I trust in my son. I have no doubt he will jump through all the hoops that have been set before him.” And with that, he chose a chair in the corner and sat down for a sulk.

Inoichi, to his credit, didn’t show any of the triumph he must be feeling. He just turned back to his plate and focused on eating. The silence was more than a little awkward, but Shikaku didn’t try to break it even after forcing down the bite in his mouth. He recognized a tag ready to explode when he saw it.

He was halfway through his bag of gummy worms when Ensui entered the arena. He was in his ANBU attire, of course, and Tenzo trailed in after him, squirrel mask hiding his young features. Last was Itachi, and Shikaku leaned forward to study him as he looked around the arena. He was small, though considering his age that wasn’t surprising. His long hair was pulled back with a simple tie at the nape of his neck and his expression was solemn, though his eyes took in the area with a sharpness that was odd on such a young face.

Ensui turned and murmured something to the two children before blurring away. A few seconds later the door opened and Ensui slipped inside, moving to kneel next to Shikaku. “Lord Hokage. Uchiha Itachi has agreed to the assessment.”

“Alright. You and Squirrel will be proctoring the physical portion. Avoid serious injury. Once you’ve finished, take him into the south sitting room for his interview with Inoichi.”

Despite not being able to see Ensui’s face through the mask, he was sure he was annoyed at having the work foisted onto him. Well, he shouldn’t have insisted on information gathering, then. More importantly, Shikaku wanted to watch how Itachi performed without knowing the eyes of his Hokage were on him.

He was standing in the middle of the arena now with his hands behind his back, looking perfectly relaxed. The kid had a good poker face, at the very least. Ensui appeared next to him and he didn’t even jump. Shikaku looked over at Fugaku, who was starting to show interest in the proceedings instead of aggressively cold-shouldering Shikaku and Inoichi.

They started with the obstacle course. Shikaku turned on the speakers that would allow them to hear every sound coming from the practice area, then settled in to watch.

First, Ensui asked for a simple run-through without Itachi’s Sharingan activated. He had no trouble making it through - even the wall was no issue for him. On his next run, Ensui released a few of the traps. Itachi avoided being sucked into the mud pit and the hail of senbon that released from the wall were easily deflected with a kunai.

The third time, Ensui increased the difficulty to the point where Itachi was forced to activate his Sharingan. Shikaku decided that his expression of fierce determination as he flipped, dodged, and leaped around the obstacle course was nothing short of adorable. Somebody that intense and talented shouldn’t be so cute.

At the end of the third round, Itachi had a few small cuts but had beaten the time of a few of the chunin ANBU twice his age who had run the course at that difficulty. Shikaku let out a low whistle and ignored the smug pride emanating from Fugaku. Inoichi was watching it all with a furrowed brow, obviously looking at something beyond Itachi’s performance.

Next, Ensui had him spar against Tenzo in a taijutsu-only match. Itachi’s form was perfect, and while Tenzo was a few levels above him in skill, he still held his own. Shikaku had a feeling Itachi would close the gap between them quickly and then keep right on going until he surpassed him.

The ninjutsu portion was taken over by Ensui and Shikaku’s eyebrows shot up when Itachi did the Great Fire Ball and stayed up right through Itachi destroying a target with his shuriken. Well, then. Bored at the Academy, indeed. Inoichi hummed when Itachi ran straight up a wall and then flipped off of it to sail over Ensui’s head, releasing a hail of shuriken that multiplied in the air. They impacted and a moment later the clone puffed into smoke and Itachi landed in a crouch a few feet away from where it’d been standing.

Shikaku stood with a sigh and flared his chakra to indicate that he’d seen enough. All three of the people in the arena turned towards the glass and Shikaku mentally added the ability to feel chakra to Itachi’s skillset.

“Between this and his IQ scores, I think it’s safe to say that Konoha hasn’t seen a prodigy of this level since the Sannin themselves,” Shikaku said mildly. Fugaku managed to be expressionless while somehow exuding an air of ‘I told you so.’ Truly, the hidden skills of his shinobi knew no bounds. “Inoichi, you’re up.”

Fugaku stood to follow and Inoichi stopped him with a look. Yet another ability that Shikaku was familiar with through painful experience. “Lord Fugaku. I find that people are generally less closed off if I can honestly tell them that we aren’t being observed, and that outside of the Hokage and his advisors their assessments will be kept confidential.”

Shikaku leaned against the wall to watch the faceoff and popped a gummy worm in his mouth. This wasn’t something he could have an opinion on, after all. Itachi was a clan child who hadn’t yet graduated from the Academy. Pushing for his father and clan head to allow him to be assessed by a man well-known for pulling secrets out of people’s heads would not put Shikaku in a favorable light. The last thing he needed was to be crucified at the next meeting with all of the clan heads.

Fugaku and Inoichi entered a staring contest and Shikaku’s eyelids were drooping before Fugaku finally let out a breath and nodded. “Fine. I trust that you will not do anything beyond talk.” It was a statement that promised terrible things if Inoichi tried anything else.

“Of course.”

“Well, I’m going to head home before Yoshino sends out assassins,” Shikaku said.

“Don’t you mean a search party?” Inoichi asked, a small smile flitting across his lips.

“Nope, I mean assassins.” He made his way towards the door, stopping to squeeze Fugaku’s shoulder in reassurance. “We’ll figure something out, no matter what the outcome,” he murmured before turning to Inoichi. “I’ll expect a report first thing tomorrow, Yamanaka.”

Inoichi inclined his head. “Of course, Lord Hokage. I’ll bring breakfast.”

He perked up. “You mean your cinnamon rolls?”

Fugaku grumbled something under his breath about the way one comports himself in leadership. Shikaku winked at Inoichi, who huffed and left the room with pointed dignity.

“Come to my office at noon tomorrow, Fugaku. I’ll have an answer by then.”

“Thank you for rethinking your stance, Lord Hokage,” he said and the words sounded like somebody was forcing each individual one out of him.

Shikaku was sure he was still smarting over being told no in the first place (the horror!) and resisted the urge to roll his eyes. When he left, Fugaku was making himself a plate of cold dinner to eat while he waited for his son to finish his assessment.

“Hey there, stranger,” Yoshino said when he collapsed next to her on their couch ten minutes later. “Stressful day?”

“Only if you count dealing with an Uchiha’s hurt parental pride stressful.”

“So yes, then,” Yoshino said, laughter in her voice.

He rolled his head from where it was leaning back against the couch cushion to look at her. She was wearing a loosely-tied robe over a peach nightgown that Shikaku held a _particular_ fondness for. Her hair was piled up on her head in a messy bun, leaving a few strands to fall down around her face. It never ceased to amaze him, the way she got more beautiful with time. He moved his hand over so it was resting on her thigh and her eyes darkened just enough to let him know that she was willing to offer her very special form of stress relief.

“I’ll meet you upstairs in five minutes,” he said, making sure his voice was low and rumbly in the way she had never been able to resist.

She laughed and leaned over to kiss his cheek. “You’re on.”

He hurried into his office, cursing the fact that it was a mole day. He reached into the small refrigerator he now kept there to store the ridiculous amount of worms he went through every week, pulling out four bags. The amount he owed each time had gone up since he’d started using the Communication Moles. One stayed with Kakashi, one with Yoshino, and the third was his point of contact since the three of them could summon each other, send items back and forth, and communicate over long distances.

Kakashi's shadow was for obvious reasons - the exchange of reports and orders, and to keep Shikaku in the loop as far as where he was at any one time. He’d also know right away if something happened to Naruto. The one shadowing Yoshino was acting as an alert mole. If somebody nefarious got too close to his family, he wanted to know about it sooner rather than later.

He summoned the moles and ignored their cheering. “Yes, yes, it’s time for worms, I know.”

“We has been keeping an eye on your enemies,” Yen said in what he probably thought was a mysterious tone but mostly came across as squeaky.

“And my brothers watch your family, acting as the horn that cries for help!” Belen said, posing as dramatically as a mole could manage.

Yen scoffed. “You and your brothers are not _real_ moles. You just sit around and twiddle your paddles, watching for gossip -”

Shikaku cleared his throat. Usually, he let them run themselves down, but today he had a peach nightie to look forward to. “Anything new to report?”

Yen looked about ready to scold him for his interruption, but he held up the four bags of worms to dangle in front of him enticingly. “...Nothing new. Schemers still scheming, but nobody has said anything new or planned evil plans to do.”

Belen produced a small rolled up piece of parchment from who-knows-where. Shikaku took it and set it on his desk to read later. “Grumpy dog boy has more reports. My brother says they are in a new town where it rains a lot. Top Heavy Lady still drinks and spends all her money, but she plays with the rolly-polly baby sometimes, now. No dangers.”

“Alright. Thanks, you two.” He tossed them their booty and edged around them when they scrambled to hug them to their bodies. Belen had burst into happy tears - something he did each and every time he got paid, to Shikaku’s bemusement.

He closed the office door to the sounds of them puffing out of existence and didn’t waste any time rushing up the stairs.

The next morning, Shikaku showed up at his office an hour before Inoichi was due to make his report about Itachi, intent on getting through some of the ever-present paperwork that resided on his desk. He’d only been there for a few minutes when Ensui appeared.

“Whatever it is, can it wai -” he cut off when he looked up and saw Ensui’s expression. His eyes were bright and he was practically vibrating with excitement.

Shikaku pushed chakra into the privacy seal at his desk when Ensui motioned towards it. His office was already extremely secure, but they’d added extra measures when they decided to take on Root, for obvious reasons. Danzo was one sneaky bastard, and he had a lot of spare time on his hands now that he’d been kicked off everything important. “What is it?”

“We found a way into that underground fortress Danzo’s got.”

Shikaku’s eyes widened. This was the one missing piece they’d needed - access to whatever goodies Root stored down there. “How?”

“My moles finally found a weak spot. They couldn’t get through on their own, but they had Tenzo plant some slow-growing Mokuton roots there to widen it just enough, and when I checked this morning, they said they’re ready to infiltrate. It'll cost us buckets of worms, but they'll do it. We’re just waiting on your word, Lord Hokage.”

The icy cool feeling in his veins was familiar from all the pre-battle moments he’d had in his short life, and Shikaku rubbed a hand over the hair on his chin to ground himself in the moment. “This could tip our hand.”

“Maybe, but we’ve got enough to burn him by now, and we know where most, if not all, of his little hideouts are if he runs. Inoichi’s pinpointed the leaks he might use in revenge, all you need is to send me to take care of ‘em. Tenzo knows the layout of the base, he can help the moles get in and out with the last of the info we need.”

Shikaku hadn’t been sold on adding Tenzo to the mole contract as Ensui’s heir when his brother had first brought it up, but it had obviously worked in their favor. He had a feeling the kid was going to end up his heir in every other way that counted, too. Tenzo already lived with Ensui and was his apprentice - Shikaku expected he’d be an adopted Nara soon. The clan wouldn’t accept Tenzo as their future leader, but Shikamaru would fill that role easily enough. It’s not like Ensui was likely to have biological children, anyway, so adoption had always been his only option for passing on his legacy.

“Alright. Coordinate with the moles so that you take out the informants simultaneously with the infiltration. Move when you’re ready.”

Ensui’s resulting grin was sharp and predatory, and Shikaku did not envy the people who had allowed themselves to be bribed by a traitor to their village. This was one case, though, where Shikaku knew that ruthlessness was what they needed. Minato would have agreed, he was sure.

They spent some time going over details, including how they would confront Danzo. Shikaku planned on inviting him to a village leadership meeting and dropping the charges on him then. That would flush out any of his supporters and allow Shikaku’s allies to assist on taking him down if he became difficult. He’d make sure his most trusted were in the know, and he’d let Fugaku be the arresting officer. That should cheer the man up. At the same time, Ensui and Monkey would take a team to round up rogue Root members.

“I can’t believe it’s almost over,” Ensui said when they were done rehashing the plan they’d come up with months ago. Of course, they had more than a few backup plans in case something went wrong, but this was the one that would result in the least bloodshed or political fallout.

The chair across from Shikaku’s desk let out a _whumph_ of air from the cushions when Ensui collapsed onto it. He and accepted a pile of paperwork that Shikaku pushed towards him with a sigh, but didn’t waste any time before starting to read through it. Little brothers were truly a blessing. Mostly. Sometimes.

The smell of Inoichi’s much-sought-after cinnamon rolls preceded his knock on the door a few minutes later. After telling him to come in, Shikaku made grabby hands towards the food and Inoichi rolled his eyes but passed the covered basket over. Shikaku uncovered them and eyed the large, still-steaming frosting-covered gems, pausing in his appreciation long enough to smack Ensui’s hand away from the one he’d already chosen for himself.

He took a large bite and sat back when the steaming sweetness hit his tongue. “That’s the stuff,” he mumbled around the ball of dough.

Inoichi had pulled out a stack of notes after moving a chair up next to Ensui. He was perched on the edge, obviously ready to get the meeting underway. “Ensui, report.” Shikaku could enjoy his breakfast and listen at the same time, after all.

After a mournful look at his own half-eaten roll, Ensui set it back in the basket and straightened. He had some frosting on the corner of his mouth, but Shikaku certainly wasn’t going to point it out. “Uchiha Itachi is a prodigy. He’s years above his classmates, and if he were to become a genin today, his skill level would be above most, if not all, of the current genin. He comported himself well, never showing panic or even pain when he was hit. His taijutsu is at a high genin level, ninjutsu is at about mid-genin level for a clan kid. Shuriken and kunai use are high chunin level - not a surprise with who his mother is - and his chakra control is near-perfect. Chakra levels are a bit higher than what you’d expect for a six-year-old Uchiha, but not high enough to support more than one or two C-rank jutsu in succession.”

Shikaku listened as Ensui continued to list off the things he’d already figured out on his own. Itachi was already chunin level in some areas, but his small size and still-developing chakra coils meant he needed at least a year or two before they could expect him to move up beyond genin.

When Ensui was done, he looked over at Inoichi, who had that pinched look he got whenever he saw one of their jounin do something particularly insane. “Well? What've you got, Yamanaka?”

Inoichi looked down at his notes. “The trauma he experienced at four affected him deeply on many levels. It matured him in some ways, which makes it difficult for him to understand many of the behaviors and cares of his peers. It also pushed him to train harder than many children his age would. Combined with what we already know is genius-level intellect, it’s resulted in a very talented child.”

The sound of Inoichi’s finger tapping on his notes was the only sound in the room for a few seconds before he continued on. “In other ways, it stunted him. He has trouble making emotional connections with the people around him. It’s not that he’s incapable of love or loyalty. He loves his family, particularly his younger brother, very much. Almost to the point of obsession, actually, in the case of his brother. He’s also quite close to his cousin Shisui, who has been giving him extra training for about a year. Itachi is extremely loyal to the village, as he believes in the First Hokage’s tenets.”

“So why is he having trouble making friends?” Shikaku asked.

“This is only preliminary, of course, but part of it is what I already mentioned - he just doesn’t understand his peer group. They seem petty and weak-minded to him. He’s also very self-focused. None of these things are abnormal for a child who is so far ahead of their own age group and should work itself out as he gets older, as long as we are careful with who he spends time with.” Inoichi hesitated before taking a calming breath. “I also believe he is a pacifist, a core set of beliefs that can be directly attributed to what he experienced when he was younger.”

“And what, exactly, does that mean for his future as a shinobi?” What Shikaku really meant, of course, was if the life of a ninja would break him. There wasn’t a lot he could do about Itachi’s future as a shinobi. If he demanded that a clan kid of his potential were taken from the program, it would incite rebellion. The Uchiha would finally blow, and he wasn’t sure that some of the other prominent clans wouldn’t side with them on this particular issue. 

“It means that his mental health is going to be extremely precarious. Something like this...it can strengthen a man, help him do what needs to be done to get closer to a world that fits their ideals. We saw this with Minato, and with you, to a lesser extent. The First Hokage is probably the best example. But we need to be careful that it doesn’t turn into fanaticism. That can skew a person’s understanding of right and wrong, and lead to them into doing awful things in the name of their beliefs.”

  

Shikaku slumped down in his seat. Great, he had a future S-ranked shinobi primed to become either an evil overlord or a martyr. Neither option was particularly appealing. “So what does he need?”

“As much as I hate to say it, the Academy would do more harm than good. Not only would he be bored, but he would probably become more disenchanted with the people around him. It would become harder and harder for him to make outside connections. At the same time, I can’t recommend that he be put on a genin team. If they reject him, which is a probability due to his current issues with social interaction and his incredible intellect and skills, it would also damage his ability to connect more to the here and now. If he is forced to kill or watch someone die on a mission this young, it will only deepen his trauma.”

“So...” Ensui said. “What do we do with him?”

“He needs a break, honestly. Let him train and get stronger, but keep him out of combat for a few years. Put him in social settings with children that doesn’t involve training or school. Give him someone outside of his clan to look up to and take him under their wing. And, honestly, I think having him meet with me a few times a month would do him good if we can convince his guardians.”

“So, he needs a master,” Ensui said and Shikaku stiffened when they both looked at him.

He held up both his hands. “No. Nope, not happening. I’m already busy enough -”

“Come on, big brother. He’s six, how much work would he really be? Just have the kid follow you around and teach him a few jutsu now and then.”

Shikaku glared. “He’s Fugaku’s kid, he’d skin me alive if I half-assed his training.”

“Well, foist some of it off on your guard. You know, _delegate._ ”

“No. I’m not signing myself up for _years_ of Fugaku breathing down my neck -”

“You want to mend relations with the Uchiha and the village? This is the way you do it,” Ensui said. “Think about it. As your student, you’re proclaiming him a possible candidate for _Hokage._ People will be wary of picking on his clan after that if nothing else. The more cynical will see it as a way to keep the Uchiha in line - as your apprentice, you’ll have a lot of power over him. Over the heir of the Uchiha clan. Fugaku’s pride and joy.”

Shikaku was still shaking his head, even if Ensui’s words made sense, he wasn't going to use some kid in his political game. Then, of course, Inoichi spoke. “You could help him. He’s in a lot of pain, Shikaku. His current path could take him somewhere awful. You could make sure he doesn’t go that way.”

Shikaku pressed his lips together. It didn’t work like that. Orochimaru was a prime example of how the best intentions could still create a monster. Though, Sarutobi did have a terrible habit of overlooking the bad in people he loved. That wouldn’t be a problem for Shikaku. He was much too analytical to miss something like Orochimaru's sociopathy or Danzo's...everything.

“I’ll think about,” he finally said and from Ensui and Inoichi’s satisfied expressions, you’d think he’d just agreed. He had a feeling Ensui had been planning this from the very beginning.

He made them leave so he could get some work done and try to come up with a solution that didn't involve Shikaku taking on an apprentice of all things before Fugaku arrived at noon. It wasn’t as though he was the only person who could be the master to the Uchiha heir. Shisui was already training him, though he was a bit young and Shikaku would prefer to have it be somebody outside the clan for political reasons. Perhaps Saori could do it. She was the Jounin Commander and well respected, especially after repelling more than a few attacks from their borders with the kind of no-nonsense and extreme prejudice he’d come to appreciate when they worked together in the war.

He imagined the stoic Uchiha following her around as she bullied the jounin into extra training and picked at the more serious of her peers until they either lost their tempers or gave in and laughed. Would he be comfortable with someone like her? She would either bring him out of his shell or push him further into it.

Shikaku glared down at his still-undone paperwork, then sighed and stood. He needed one more piece of the puzzle before he decided. He felt Genma and Raido shadowing him on his way to the Academy. It was warm out and he made sure to greet the merchants and shoppers out on the street politely. He stopped and bought two sticks of dango, waving off the merchant who tried to give them to him for free and setting money on the counter.

A few minutes later he entered the quiet building, relieved everyone was in class so that he wouldn’t be swarmed by tiny little pre-shinobi. Most of the time he didn’t mind children, enjoyed interacting with them, even, but he was on a tight schedule.

He remembered which classroom Itachi was in from his paperwork, and knocked lightly on the door after making his way there. The rumbling voice of the instructor cut off and he heard the murmurs of multiple children before the door opened. The young chunin’s eyes widened. “L-lord Hokage!”

Excited whispers erupted from inside, along with a few squeals. “Hello, Hano-sensei. I’m sorry to disturb you, but might I borrow Uchiha Itachi? I'll probably need him through lunch.”

“Yes, of course, Lord Hokage.” He seemed to have regained his equilibrium and after a small bow, he turned towards the classroom. Shikaku jumped when he yelled, “Itachi! The Hokage would like to speak with you!”

The whispers now erupted into voices asking _why_ the Hokage would want to talk to Itachi. A moment later Itachi appeared at the door, outwardly unbothered by this newest development, though something about his eyes were wary. His cheeks still held baby fat and his dark eyes were wide in his pale face. The serious expression on his face only made him more adorable. The picture Inoichi had painted of Itachi’s possible future seemed far away, now. How could something so precious turn into a fanatical killer?

“Lord Hokage, I am honored to meet you.” He bowed with all the solemnity of a priestess and Shikaku lost the ability to stay unaffected.

He reached out ruffled Itachi's hair, mussing the perfect fall of strands. “Hey, kid. Nice to meet you, too.” Itachi’s eyes widened, but before he could reply his sensei gently pushed him out of the classroom.

“I’ll see you after your meeting with the Hokage, Itachi,” he said, not unkindly, before shutting the door.

Shikaku held out his other hand, which was holding the dango sticks. After a moment of hesitation, Itachi reached out and took one. His expression lit up just enough with honest pleasure at the treat that Shikaku relaxed. That one reaction had proven that at heart, he was still just a kid, social awkwardness and genius aside.

“Let’s take a walk, hm?” Shikaku turned towards the back of the school, where the doors would lead out into the practice area.

Itachi fell into step next to him. Shikaku could practically feel the amusement of his guards as they followed at a distance. He waited until Itachi'd had two of the dango balls - nibbling delicately on them and not allowing a single crumb to fall to the ground - before speaking.

“So, Itachi, I received a request for early graduation from your father and the Academy instructors.”

Itachi glanced at him from the corner of his eye and licked his lips clean. “Yes, Lord Hokage. My father thinks I’m ready to move on to the next stage of my training.”

“Oh? And what do you think?”

Itachi blinked twice, rapidly, probably off balance from having his opinion requested from an adult. “I am...bored at the Academy, sir. It feels like a waste of my time.”

Shikaku’s lips twitched as an almost petulant expression flitted across the boy’s face before smoothing away. Yes, there was still hope for the kid after all. He hummed in response as Itachi finished off his last bit of dango. They were approaching the gate that led out into the road and Shikaku motioned him through. Itachi didn’t hesitate, though his cheek twitched just enough that Shikaku knew he wanted to ask where they were going.

Shikaku waited until he’d thrown the now-empty dango stick into the garbage before holding out the second dango out. “Isn’t that yours, sir?”

“I had a big breakfast.”

Itachi slowly reached out with still-slightly-pudgy fingers and took it. “Thank you, Lord Hokage.”

“No problem, kid. I remember what it was like sitting through class for hours. A little sugar should perk you back up.”

Itachi didn’t say anything, but he seemed a bit doubtful. Whether it was the idea that somebody as old as Shikaku could remember so far back, or that sugar would help chase the cobwebs from his mind, he wasn’t sure. Or maybe it was disbelief that the leader of their village was giving him treats and taking him for a walk.

“So you don’t want to stay at the Academy. Do you want to be on a genin team, then?”

“It is the next step on the path of the shinobi.”

“That’s not what I asked.”

Itachi didn’t seem to know how to reply to that and Shikaku didn’t push. “Well, what about the dangers inherent in going out on missions?”

Itachi’s cheek twitched again and Shikaku forced himself not to grin at the sign of annoyance. The kid was good at hiding his emotions, but not good enough to fool Shikaku. “I will do my duty to the village, despite the dangers.”

Shikaku sighed. “How about we drop the clan-approved answers for now, huh?” They were taking the side streets, meandering towards the center of the village, and Shikaku motioned for him to turn into the park. They’d cut across to save some time and hopefully keep anybody from spotting their Hokage and trying to get his attention. “Whatever you say, I promise you won’t get into trouble, and I’ll keep it between us.”

“Didn’t Lord Yamanaka already tell you what I think?”

Was that snark? It was hard to tell when he used that tone. “Inoichi gave me an overall assessment, yes, but he didn’t share any details of your conversation with him if that’s what you’re asking.”

Itachi seemed genuinely surprised at that. Uchiha were so suspicious of everyone. “I am not afraid of going on missions,” he finally said.

“And if something goes wrong and you have to kill to protect a client or your teammates?”

Itachi stiffened and his hand tightened around the stick. “I would protect my teammates and do what I needed to complete the mission.”

He looked uncomfortable enough that Shikaku reached down and squeezed his bony shoulder. “I believe you.” And he did - it would break Itachi even more, but he’d do it.

He turned the conversation to Itachi’s family and noted how he lit up when talking about Sasuke, showing more animation than he had throughout the rest of the conversation. “He’s starting to talk in full sentences,” he said proudly. “He said my name before mother's or father’s.”

Shikaku grinned. “Bet that went over like a lead ball.”

Itachi shrugged and his blank expression was back in place. “Mother thought it was funny. I don’t think father noticed.”

“I’m sure he did,” Shikaku said gently. “Your father loves you very much - he speaks of both of you often.”

There was an uncomfortable pause and then they were on the street behind the tower. Shikaku knew he was running out of time to make a decision. “Sasuke sounds pretty smart. We’ll have to invite your family over for a playdate with Shikamaru.”

“I think he’d like that. Sasuke is very social.”

Well, he didn’t get that from his older brother. “Sure. I’ll have Yoshino - my wife - set it up.”

Itachi hesitated when Shikaku held the door to the administration building open for him, but eventually stepped through. He still hadn’t asked where they were going. Perhaps he’d already figured it out, but Shikaku had a feeling that unquestioned obedience had been drilled into him by his clan. Well, that just wouldn’t do.

Shikaku nodded to the shinobi that were scattered around the missions office, either waiting to check in or receive a mission. Itachi watched them with interest, but not the wide-eyed awe most children got when confronted with so many ‘real’ shinobi.

They made their way up the stairs until they reached the waiting room to his office. “You’re late for your meeting with Lord Uchiha,” Aska said without looking up. “He’s waiting in your office. I do hope you put away anything sensitive before leaving.”

Yamanaka men were so sassy. “Don’t worry, Aska, I always follow the paperwork procedures you set up for me.”

He ignored Aska’s unimpressed humph and herded Itachi towards the open office door. He had stiffened at the mention of his father, and after tossing the dango stick in the trash he wiped his palms against his pants legs.

Fugaku was standing at the windows, his favorite spot whenever he was in Shikaku's office. He turned towards them and held out a hand to Itachi. After a hesitant look at Shikaku, he crossed the room to stand next to his father, who placed the hand on his shoulder. It was a little surprising that Itachi didn't realize just how much his father loved him.

The door shut behind Shikaku with a near-soundless swish. “Hey, Fugaku. Sorry we’re late.”

“I was unaware Itachi would be present for this meeting. Or that you would personally fetch him from the Academy.”

Shikaku met Fugaku’s eyes and straightened. The Uchiha attitude was getting tiring. “I’m well within my rights to spend time with an Academy student, especially one who is requesting such an early release.”

Itachi had paled at Shikaku’s change in posture - smart kid - and Fugaku pressed his lips together but didn’t say anything else. “Let’s sit,” Shikaku said and led them to the low chairs and table in the corner.

He took a chair and let the two Uchiha sit in the loveseat across from him. “I have to say, Itachi is an incredibly talented boy. After speaking with Snake and Inoichi, I agree that staying at the Academy would do more harm than good.”

Fugaku leaned forward. “So you will allow him to test out?”

“I will.” He held up a hand to keep Fugaku from responding. “On a few conditions. The first is that Itachi not be put on a genin team and sent out of village on missions until he turns nine.”

Fugaku’s eyes narrowed but before he could complain, Shikaku continued. “The second is that he apprentices out to someone both you and I approve of.”

Fugaku stood. His cheeks were turning red, and his hands were fisted at his side. “I had thought you were an ally of the Uchiha, Shikaku. If any other clan child were in this position -”

Shikaku tuned him out and focused on Itachi. He was sitting hunched over slightly with his legs pressed together and his hands on his knees. His cheek was twitching, but he was doing an admiral job of keeping his emotions in check.

His feet didn’t touch the ground. Shikaku’s breath caught in his throat. He looked so young and vulnerable at that moment that Shikaku was speaking before he could stop himself, cutting Fugaku off mid-rant. “I’d like to put myself forward to become Itachi’s master if you both find that acceptable.”

The sudden silence was deafening and if Shikaku weren’t cursing himself out in his head for falling for Ensui and Inoichi’s manipulations and being a _godammed softy_ he’d think the identical looks of disbelief coming his way from father and son was funny.

Surprisingly, it was Itachi who broke the silence first. “You - you want me as your apprentice?”

And, damn, he sounded so young and unsure. Well, there was no going back, now, unless he wanted to go down in history as the most hard-hearted Hokage ever. Considering his competition was Senju Tobirama, that would be quite the accomplishment.

He leaned back and stretched his legs out in front of him. “Sure do, kid. I need somebody exceptional to be my protegé, and you certainly fit the bill. Just don’t think I’ll go easy on you - I’ll expect you to work hard and follow orders.”

Itachi nodded. “Yes, sir.”

Fugaku was broken out of his shock by Itachi’s reply. He sat back down slowly, a calculating look in his eye. “Would this be a traditional apprenticeship?”

“Yes.” His tone didn’t leave any room for argument. Itachi would essentially become his ward. All major decisions regarding training, health, and his career as a shinobi would fall to Shikaku until the apprenticeship ended, either after he turned eighteen or became a jounin, whichever happened first. “Of course, I won’t expect him to move out of his family home unless he wants to. I may have him stay over sometimes if we have a late night or early morning, but his residence would be with you.” It wouldn’t do to look like he didn’t trust the Uchiha with his apprentice, after all.

“Could I still train with cousin Shisui?” Itachi asked in a tone so low Shikaku had trouble making out the words.

“Itachi, it is not the place of the apprentice to -”

“If that’s something that’s important to you, I can ask Shisui if he’s interested in taking on some of your training.” This was a nice segue into one of the things he’d need to make clear. “I will train you personally as much as I can, but my duties as Hokage keep me fairly busy, so I’ll be delegating some of that to people I trust. However, you’ll spend a lot of time with me while I perform my day-to-day duties, which will be a good opportunity for you to learn about leadership and political maneuvering.”

The expression on Fugaku’s face could best be compared to a child who had just been set loose in a toy store and been told to go crazy. Taking Itachi on as his apprentice would calm the Uchiha down for a while, at least, and stop all but the bravest tongues from wagging. Nobody would want to insult the apprentice of the Hokage, at least not overtly.

“It’s going to be hard work, and it will make a target of him,” Shikaku said and met Itachi’s gaze. “As Hokage, I have many enemies, some obvious and some not.”

“The Uchiha protect our own,” Fugaku said but he at least looked troubled by the possibility of Itachi being targeted to get to the Hokage.

“And I’ll put guards on him, too. Life as my apprentice will not be easy. As the heir to the Uchiha clan, I’m sure you’re used to being under pressure. It will get worse once you’re my apprentice. I’ll be forced to expect a lot out of you. You’ll have to do things that are unpleasant, hold your tongue when you’d like to speak. You will know secrets that many older than yourself would have trouble keeping to themselves. To betray me would be a traitorous act instead of simply a dishonorable one. This is not a decision to be made lightly.”

“My son can handle -”

“I’m sure he can, or I wouldn’t be offering him this position,” Shikaku said, silencing Fugaku with a look. “However, I’m not asking if he can do it, I’m asking if he wants to. I will not hold it against you if you say no, and I’m sure your father won’t, either.” Yep, he said that last bit with an edge.

Itachi’s eyes were wide and darting between Fugaku and Shikaku. “I...” he trailed off and looked back down at his knees. After a few minutes in which Fugaku kept his mouth shut with what was probably an enormous amount of effort, Itachi took a deep breath, squared his shoulders, and looked up.

Shikaku’s heart sank at the determination he saw there. Then Itachi slid down off the couch and padded around the table until he was standing next to Shikaku’s chair. He knelt down and bowed, bits of his hair falling forward to brush the ground. “I would be honored to accept the position of your apprentice, Lord Hokage.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I had planned on getting to the Danzo confrontation this chapter, but somehow ended up writing 9k words about Itachi. Because six-year-old Itachi is adorable, admit it. So, that will be happening next time, something to look forward to!
> 
> On a different note - I'm obviously not a therapist or licensed anything, and Inoichi's diagnosis and Itachi's problems should not be considered as commentary on real-life mental health stuff. 
> 
> Also, is it ROOT or Root, dammit. I've seen it both ways and for some reason agonized over it this chapter...


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Danzo and Shikaku finally face off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Buckle up, kids, it's gonna be a bumpy ride.

It was snowing. Shikaku hated the snow. The only good thing about it was that it never stuck around longer than a month. Most of the village’s short winter was spent under a constant drizzle of rain that would turn into a downpour during the first few weeks of spring.

He tried to ignore the innocent-looking tufts of snow as they came down in a thick sheet and focus on the report in front of him. The village would be covered in it by the end of the day. It was a good thing Yoshino had pushed a cloak into his hands that morning.

The report was bad news. Chouza’s genin cell had been ambushed by a couple of what Chouza guessed were Cloud jounin when they’d crossed the border into Grass on a simple escort mission. One of the genin had been killed. “Dammit,” Shikaku muttered and rubbed a hand down his face. He’d have to stop by his friend’s house tonight with a bottle of sake. The only time he allowed himself to drink these days was socially, and even then he never had more than a few. He’d have to make an exception this evening.

“Sensei.” He glanced over at where Itachi was sorting through his non-sensitive information inbox (Aska dealt with the classified stuff). There were three piles - priority, general admin, and foist off on Ensui. He’d gotten an extremely unimpressed expression for the last category from his apprentice. Day six of being a master and he was already getting shade.

“Yeah?”

“Are you okay?”

Shikaku huffed and set down his pen. “That obvious, am I?”

Itachi shrugged and looked down. “Not really.”

After some consideration, he decided it couldn’t hurt to give him an honest answer. Itachi was used to being overlooked by adults while simultaneously being maneuvered by them. Something Shikaku remembered from his own childhood as a clan heir less than fondly. “There’s an extremely important mission in progress right now. I’m worried, I suppose.”

Itachi’s eyes widened a bit but he didn’t move his gaze from what looked like a mission report awaiting Shikaku’s signature. “If it fails, it’ll be bad for the village?”

Shikaku studied Itachi’s lowered head before huffing out a breath. He reached across the desk and ruffled his hair, earning a slight scowl in response. He wondered how long it would take Itachi to figure out that Shikaku thought his glares were precious. “I know for a fact that our best is on it. The problem with being an adult is that sometimes you worry when you don’t need to.”

Itachi seemed less than satisfied with that reply. Shikaku sighed and brought his attention back to the report. He’d need to be more careful with his genin teams for a while. Send them on missions with an extra jounin, or maybe in double cells. It would be a hit to the village’s income, but it was better than dead genin.

“Here you are, sensei.” Itachi set the priority paperwork to his left. 

“Thanks, kid. Here, run this message to Inoichi for me, then get yourself lunch before meeting Shisui for training. I’ll see you in the morning.”

If Itachi was upset about being shunted out of the office, he didn’t show it. He just took the money for lunch and the message before bowing. “Of course, sensei.”

He scampered out (so cute) before Shikaku could twitch at the multiple senseis being thrown about. Ugh, he still couldn’t believe he had an apprentice, no matter how round his cheeks and how pudgy his fingers. Yoshino had laughed at him - laughed! - when he told her about it. Ensui had been insufferable and the two of them had spent a whole dinner acting like they were teenagers united in the goal of driving Shikaku crazy again. That’s what he got for marrying his little brother’s best friend, he supposed.

Shikaku tapped his fingers on the desk and looked at the clock for the twentieth time that morning. If everything went well, Ensui should be back right about -

Ensui blurred into existence in front of him, Tenzo at his side. They were dressed in black, non-standard clothing with black cloth masks over their faces that showed only their eyes. Shikaku didn’t waste any time locking his door and windows against intruders and activating every privacy seal they had. Only once that was done did the two remove their masks. 

Tenzo’s brown eyes were bright with excitement and his body was practically shaking. He was older than Itachi by almost five years but still carried some baby fat on his cheeks. He bowed low and murmured a greeting. Ensui’s cheeks were flushed and he was grinning, which told Shikaku everything he needed to know. The mission was a success. 

He ran his eyes over both of them to check for any serious injuries, but nothing stuck out. “Report.”

“All three targets were successfully eliminated without detection or interference,” Ensui said.

Tenzo straightened when Shikaku turned his attention to him and pulled out a sealing scroll. “The moles were successful, Lord Hokage, and reported no problems with retrieval, despite the multiple fail-safes in place. Here are all the documents they were able to retrieve.”

Shikaku plucked it from his hands and unsealed the scroll to reveal six thick folders. He handed the top one to Ensui and took the next for himself. What he found there was just as despicable as he’d come to expect from the man. Duplicates of Orochimaru’s experiments, along with handwritten notes from him updating Danzo on his progress and findings. His stomach dropped at the implications. Had Orochimaru’s experiments been sanctioned, at some level, by Danzo?

“Damn,” Ensui muttered. “Well, we’ve got him dead to rights on treason. This is correspondence with multiple enemies of Konoha and her allies. We’ve got a lot of messes to clean up, here.”

Shikaku took a deep, steadying breath. “Go get cleaned up. I’m going to have Aska set up a meeting with all of the Clan Heads and leadership figures of the village for two hours from now. We can’t wait any longer - once Danzo realizes his leaks are dead, he’ll know we’re moving against him. Tenzo, go as Squirrel and ask Uchiha Fugaku, Hyuuga Hiashi, Yamanaka Inoichi, Aburame Shibi, Akimichi Chouza, and Inuzuka Saori to meet me in my office for debriefing immediately. Tell them to be subtle about it, please.” He and Ensui had chosen that list of people carefully, checking and double checking that Danzo held no cards that could influence their actions.

“Yes, Lord Hokage,” they both said, but Ensui shared a predatory smile with him before they blurred away.

A thrill went down Shikaku’s spine and he shivered. Anticipation was building in his gut and he carefully resealed the documents and tucked them into his vest before heading to unlock the door, allowing himself time to fall into the icy stillness of pre-battle. 

Aksa had been prepared for the possibility that they’d need to move quickly and was already halfway out of the room to send out messages to the clan heads, advisors, and commanders by the time Shikaku finished speaking. He turned to his guards once they were all back into his office.

“You two, we’re on orange alert as of now. Aya and Roku are, too, and I provided them with an ANBU cell of three for backup for the next week.” Orange alert meant that there was a good possibility of some sort of high-profile altercation. They both nodded and then disappeared to do a perimeter check. The last thing they needed were hidden spies or assassins to give them trouble or alert Danzo of their activities.

Ten minutes later Saori and Mao strolled into the office and flopped down into one of the extra chairs Aska had somehow tracked down. She took one look at him and grinned. “Hey, boss. Who we killin’ today?”

“Charming,” Hiashi said from the doorway. His eyes swept across the room, taking in the chairs and Shikaku’s expression. “But probably not an incorrect assertion.”

And here Shikaku thought he had a good poker face. He’d have to work on it if he was going to be hanging around this bunch frequently. They’d seen him in a killing sort of mood too often to mistake it for something else.

“Aw, Shikaku, don’t give away the surprise ending,” Ensui drawled as he dropped out of the ceiling. “Hidden passages are all closed up, so we should be good there.” He was wearing his usual jounin uniform now, but he was tense with anticipation. Monkey followed after him.

Fugaku, Inoichi, Shibi, and Chouza were next, and Aska trailed in last and shut the door behind him. “We aren’t killing anybody today if we can help it,” Shikaku said in a steady tone. “Sit down. We’ve got a lot to discuss and not a lot of time.”

Everyone exchanged looks at that ominous declaration before choosing a seat. Inoichi and Chouza sat next to each other in the back while Fugaku settled in next to Hiashi in the front row. He probably didn’t want Hiashi to seem more attentive than him. Actually, now that he thought about it, the rows of chairs facing his desk did disturbingly resemble a classroom setting. 

“Alright. You’re here because you are some of the strongest figures Konoha has to offer, and because I trust you implicitly with the information I’m about to share. You will act as my witnesses this afternoon in a leadership meeting since the proof I’m about to show you is too sensitive to share more broadly.”

Saori leaned forward. “Proof of what, exactly?”

Shikaku motioned for Aska to hand out the folders he was holding protectively against his chest. “Proof of a traitor in our midst. These files will self-destruct in twenty minutes, so please read through them thoroughly.”

There was more than one alarmed expression throughout the room, but everybody buckled down to read the packets of information Aska had put together on Danzo’s multiple traitorous inclinations. It didn’t even hold the worst of it - Shikaku couldn’t have it getting out that Danzo had literally started wars and broken treaties with allies. He had given prisoners of war over to Orochimaru to be subjected to horrific experiments and helped enemies destroy peaceful groups who were no more than a thorn in their sides in exchange for the promise of support in his never-ending quest to become Hokage. Konoha would be besieged on all sides if there were even whispers of such things, and even if she managed to survive that her reputation would never recover.

The room was growing heavy with the rage of multiple A and S-ranked ninja as they read. “This cannot stand,” Saori said and Mao’s growl punctuated her point. 

“How could this happen?” Hiashi demanded. “How could he have been allowed to do this?”

Fugaku scoffed. “How do you think? He was a teammate of the Sandaime, who is known to be soft on those he cares for, and taught by Senju Tobirama. That man was ruthless through and through.”

Saori stood so quickly that her file flew out of her lap, the pages spreading out across the floor. “Did he know? Did the Sandaime _know?”_ The last word sounded more heartbroken than angry, and Mao licked at the fist clenched at her side.

They all looked to Shikaku, who took a deep breath. “Lord Hiruzen ordered him to disband Root years ago. Danzo only pretended to submit. Monkey and I believe that he has been working from his own agenda for at least the past decade, probably longer.”

His answer avoided the question neatly. Of course, Hiruzen had known about some of it, guessed at other parts, and probably refused to contemplate the worst of it. He didn’t have to explain to the people in front of him why they weren’t going to bring Hiruzen into the discussion, though. Revealing Danzo as a traitor would be a blow to morale and trust. Revealing that the Sandaime had turned the other cheek would cripple it for a good long while. “Either way, his activities since I have been made Hokage are clearly traitorous, and it ends today.”

They paused to watch as the files self-destructed, leaving behind little whorls of smoke that floated harmlessly up towards the ceiling. He let them take a moment to compose themselves. He was honestly impressed that nobody had put a chair through the wall.

Inoichi cleared his throat. “So what’s the plan, Lord Godaime?”

Chouza was silent and unfaltering next to him and their calm determination seemed to steady the rest of the room. Shikaku moved to sit behind his desk. “In about an hour there will be an emergency leadership meeting held on the premise that we’ve received an urgent report from Inoichi’s agents in Cloud. I will reveal my decision to have Danzo arrested as a traitor there. You will confirm that I showed you proof of his listed crimes.” He wanted Danzo’s arrest to be nice and public.

They all nodded. As the Hokage, he didn’t have to provide proof outside of ‘because I said so,’ but locking away public figures without just cause is how leaders got assassinated by their own generals. 

“Fugaku, you will be the arresting officer. Saori and Mao will assist. The rest of you stay close. If Danzo resists arrest, we don’t want those who are caught off guard by the situation to be injured. Inoichi and Chouza, I want you to take care of keeping the others out of it if need be. Shibi - make sure to tag Danzo with your kikaichu at the start of the meeting, just in case he manages to escape.”

“Will his old teammates be there?” Saori asked. She was sitting down again, legs crossed and arms spread out across the top of the empty chairs next to her. 

“Yes. I want to use this as a chance to identify any of his supporters and decide what to do with them from there.”

“And what about these Root members you believe he still controls?” Fugaku asked.

Ensui waved to get their attention. “I’ve got a team who will be handling them at their hideouts while you’re in your meeting.”

His team consisted of three well-vetted veterans of ANBU, along with Tenzo and Monkey. Shikaku hated that they’d be going in blind - they still weren’t sure just how many Root members were left, or what their capabilities were - but he had faith in Ensui.

Their anger had morphed into grim determination and Shikaku’s shoulders relaxed. He’d chosen his team well, it seemed. “After Danzo is secured, we will -” Shikaku stopped talking abruptly when the familiar sound of a summons appearing came from an inner pocket in his vest and a cloud of smoke wafted up into his face.

“What -”

“Your family is under attack!” Belen’s shrill voice screamed from his pocket before the weight disappeared. 

For one half of a second everyone in the room froze as the words sunk in. The world twisted around Shikaku, colors blurring before coming into sharp focus. Yoshino. Shikamaru.

Ensui moved when he did, but Shikaku still made it to the door before he did, which Aska had flung open before stepping quickly to the side. Chairs crashed to the floor when the other occupants in the room stood to follow. He moved through the outer office so fast that the details were just vague streaks of light speeding past him.

He didn’t bother stopping to open the door and it splintered out and crashed into the wall across from him when he went through it, startling a couple of chunin who had been walking down the hall. Calculations on the fastest route to his house were whipping through his brain, and he turned left towards the window on the east side of the tower - the same direction as home - instead of going for the stairs. 

The pane met the same end as the door and then he was soaring through the air, the ground rushing up to meet him. He adjusted his trajectory to miss crushing any pedestrians and landed hard enough to make a small crater in the (brand new) sidewalk, sending snow poofing up around him. Then he was blurring forward through the crowds, moving to the roofs whenever he could, ignoring the tiles cracking and flying off beneath his steps.

He made a sign and body flickered forward as soon as he had a clear path. He was vaguely aware of Genma and Raido struggling to keep up with his pace and he could feel Ensui’s chakra just behind him. Fugaku and Hiashi were flanking him and the rest of the jounin who had been in the meeting were fanned out behind him.

Part of him was aware they were watching his back for any attacks, but the rest was focused on getting home. _Yoshino. Shikamaru._ It had been a long time since Shikaku had been terrified. He didn’t like the feeling.

Thirty seconds after Belen had appeared, Shikaku’s house came into view. The front door was splintered inward and somebody had thrown a chair through the living room window. 

Several black-clad figures in blank ANBU masks appeared in the front yard and made to converge on him. But Fugaku and Hiashi were already there, intercepting the attackers and clearing him a path. A moment later Genma and Raido joined them. 

Shikaku put on an extra burst of speed, and then he was in the front door, the sounds of combat outside echoing around him. He almost tripped over the first body, which was also wearing the blank ANBU mask.

A flare of chakra revealed that Yoshino and Shikamaru were upstairs in the nursery with five other chakra signatures clustered nearby. One was Aya’s, which was as familiar as his wife’s by now. Where was Roku?

He ran past three more black-clad figures on his way to the stairs. At the landing, he was forced to jump over Roku, who was staring up at him with empty eyes, lying in a spreading puddle of blood. He must have been holding the stairs while Aya and two of the ANBU assigned to their protection retreated with Yoshino and Shikamaru. The third ANBU was laying next to him, stomach torn open. Shikaku recognized the cat mask as one of the members of the cell he’d assigned.

There was another body halfway down the stairs, obviously dead but with no visible injuries ( _Aya’s work,_ his mind supplied), lying at an odd angle where it had come to a rest after tumbling down a few steps. It was wearing a blank ANBU mask, too. The railing had been ripped off where another dead Root member had been sent careening over the edge.

The hallway that led to the bedrooms was a graveyard. One of Shikaku’s ANBU was at the top, neck gaping where it’d been slit. Four more dead Root members littered the carpet. At the very end of the hall, Aya was slumped against the wall right beneath a crater that had probably been made from her body hitting it at high velocity. The whole upper half of her face was covered in what looked like an acid burn and she wasn’t moving. Somebody had known Aya would be one of the guards and planned accordingly, going for her eyes before taking her out.

At the door to the nursery, the last ANBU had just fallen to a swipe from the tanto of a Root member. Shikaku could hear fighting inside - Yoshino’s swearing was hard to miss, and Shikamaru was crying. There were footsteps coming up the stairs behind him and Saori’s voice barking out orders.

Shikaku reached into his vest and gripped the handle of a kunai, then pulled it out and threw it in one fluid motion. It sank into the wood of the door just in front of the Root member, who pulled up short at its appearance. The world twisted around Shikaku as he activated the seal and teleported down the hall. 

The Root operative tried to turn and block his blow when he appeared, but the knife in Shikaku's hand was already sinking into his spine. He pushed the twitching body away from him and entered the room, ignoring the bits of door and furniture under his feet that Yoshino had probably used to prop it shut to buy time.

The next few seconds would be burned into his memory for the rest of his life. Shikamaru was huddled into the corner of his crib, tears running down his cheeks, hair falling out of its tiny ponytail. He’d been so damn proud last week when Shikaku had started pulling it back for him  (“Just like daddy!”). Yoshino’s green dress was torn and she was bleeding from more than one wound. She was grappling with a tall figure that was twice as wide as her, attempting to stab him with a kunai while holding his sword arm immobile. His sword was a long, wicked-looking blade with jagged edges designed to rip and tear while they went through flesh and it glinted oddly in the light.

Shikaku threw another marked kunai straight at him. He twisted his body out of the way and Yoshino’s eyes lit in triumph when her kunai pushed into his belly. Shikaku had just finished the hand signs he needed to teleport when he saw the flash of light across metal.

He opened his mouth to call out a warning, but he was already moving. His knife drove into flesh a second later. Yoshino screamed and blood sprayed across the yellow paint on the wall behind her that she’d painstakingly chosen for Shikamaru’s room.

Shikaku twisted and tossed the man across the room towards where he knew Saori and Mao were waiting. Yoshino stood in front him, brown eyes wide and hands wrapped around the serrated blade stabbed through her stomach.

“Shi- Shikaku,” she whispered and a dribble of dark blood ran out of the corner of her mouth and down her chin.

For the first time since he was a rookie, he froze. He stared into her eyes and buzzing filled his ears. Then, Yoshino tipped forward and he could move again. He reached out and caught her, then slowly lowered her to the ground and laid her on her side to avoid jostling the sword that he could see sticking out of her back to the left of her spine.

There was an odd trembling growing in the pit of his stomach, but his hands were steady when he reached out to push her hair out of her face. “It’s going to be okay, sweetheart.”

Soari had moved up next to him, expression grim, and was studying the wound. Like most Inuzuka, she was a passable field medic. “Hiashi - go, get a trauma medic. We need them here now!”

There was the sound of cloth rustling at the door, and then a rush of air filling the vacuum he’d left behind when he took off. Shikaku didn’t look away from Yoshino, though, who had reached up to grip his wrist with one bloodied hand. She was staring up at him, mouth working, breath wheezing. Moisture was starting to gather at the corners of her eyes.

“It’s okay, Lady Yoshino, I’m going to stabilize you until the medics get here, alright? I just need you to stay still. You’re going to be just fine.”

Yoshino licked her lips and blinked rapidly. Her skin was rapidly paling as her blood emptied out in a puddle around her. “Poison,” she whispered. “I can feel it spreading. I don’t - I don’t think I have long.”

Saori jerked but didn’t stop what she was doing. Shikaku was sure that the world had just dropped out from under his feet. “No, sweetheart, you’re going to be fine. We’ll get the best medics -”

“Shh,” she said and a tear fell from the corner of her eye to trail down her temple and into her hair, which was spread out behind her, the ends disappearing into the blood that was slowly creeping out into a wider and wider area despite Saori’s efforts. Yoshino looked at something to the side of Shikaku and a moment later Ensui knelt down next to him.

“Yoshino. Don’t try to talk, alright? Let Saori work.” Ensui reached out and set a hand on her head.

Yoshino swallowed. “You know - always felt like - you were the brother I never wanted.” The words were raspy and more blood dripped from her lips.

Ensui gasped out what sounded like a sob. “Why do you think I tricked you into marrying my idiot brother, huh? Needed to make it official.”

She smiled and Shikaku stared at the red staining her teeth. “Sap,” she whispered. Her gaze moved over to Shikaku and softened, though her tears were falling faster, now. He always hated it when she cried. “You made me so happy.” Her breath hitched on the last word. He shook his head slowly back and forth when he realized that she was trying to say goodbye. “Thank you.”

“Yoshino. You’re not - you’re going to be fine, baby.” Even as he said it, he knew it wasn’t true. Her skin was clammy and pale and her pulse was fluttering at her throat.

“I love you. You two take care of each other and - and take care of Shikamaru. Don’t let - don’t let him be lonely - “ she cut off when she started to cough, blood spraying from her mouth. 

“Don’t,” Shikaku said - begged. He leaned down and pressed his forehead to hers. “Don’t leave me, please.” 

Her handed tightened around his wrist. “Never leave you,” she whispered. “I’ll always be right here.” She let go of his wrist and moved her hand to his chest before letting it fall limply to the floor. “Promise you’ll - you two will -”

Shikaku leaned back enough to look at her. He could hear Saori muttering next to him. “Please, please, just - where is that medic? I can’t - anticoagulant -”

He ran the back of his fingers down her cheek. “I promise,” he choked out before leaning down and pressing his lips to hers, uncaring of the blood that smeared on his lips.

“We both promise,” Ensui said.

The medics arrived, then, and Shikaku and Ensui were pushed to the side so they could work. Shikaku refused to move any farther than the top of her head, though and ran his fingers through her hair while ignoring the flurry of activity around them. She stared up at him while the medic’s tones became more frantic, and he didn’t look away even after the light in her eyes had faded completely.

The trembling in his chest increased and then expanded until his whole body was shaking with it. He was only vaguely aware of Ensui kneeling next to him, sobbing. He felt the tears on his own face but they weren’t doing anything to release the energy vibrating through him.

Shikaku leaned forward and buried his face in her hair and let it muffle his scream. It was a deep sound that came with a burst of dark chakra that sent the medics scurrying from the room. He didn’t know how long he lay bent over her, tears mixing with the blood matted into her hair, but eventually, a thought managed to make its way through the haze of pain and disbelief that had fallen over him.

Danzo had done this. He had attacked his home, killed his wife. And unless Shikaku got up _right now,_ he would probably run, possibly disappear forever. Shikaku had underestimated him once. He wouldn’t do it again.

Releasing Yoshino and sitting up was one of the hardest things he’d ever had to do. Awareness slammed back into him once he was upright, his mind clinging onto one goal. Kill Danzo. He should have done it from the beginning instead of playing all these fucking _games._ If he had, Yoshino would be -

He closed his eyes and dug his nails into his palms. No. Self-recrimination would come later. For now, Danzo needed to die. He looked over at Ensui, who was staring down at Yoshino with a blank expression and wet cheeks. They were alone in the room with her, though Shikaku could hear a commotion in the hall. He supposed someone must have taken Shikamaru out of the room. He needed to find his son, reassure himself that he wasn’t hurt. 

After a moment Ensui looked over at him. “We’re killing him, right?” His voice was rough but didn’t waver.

“Yeah,” Shikaku croaked. “We’re killing him.”

Ensui reached out and gently closed Yoshino’s eyes, Adam's apple bobbing when he swallowed. “Good.”

They went into the small half-bath attached to the room and wiped the blood and tears from their faces and hands. When they stepped into the hall, Aya was being lifted on a stretcher between the two medics. One of them looked like they’d been crying. Yoshino had been well-loved, a favorite of the village after he’d become Hokage. She was - had been - down to earth, intelligent, and treated everyone with the same exasperated respect. 

Hiashi was talking to the other medic in low tones, expression solemn. He looked up at Shikaku. There was no sympathy in his gaze. No, there was something Shikaku appreciated much, much more. Rage. Well, he’d get no arguments about Danzo’s fate from that quarter. 

“Will she live?” Shikaku asked. Yoshino had loved Aya. She would want her to survive.

“Yes, though she may never see again, and there will be scarring.”

Shikaku could only muster a nod. He could hear Shikamaru crying downstairs and the hardness that had settled around him softened just a bit. He found Shikamaru in the dining room, probably because there were no bodies there, sobbing into Chouza’s chest where he was seated at the table. Inoichi was standing at his shoulder, posture stiff as he guarded his back. 

“Mama! Daddy!” Shikamaru whimpered in a low, terrified tone while Chouza whispered to him. Shikaku felt Genma and Raido’s chakra appear at his back and he could see Fugaku leaning against the wall, somebody else’s blood spattered across his chest. Saori was in a chair she had pulled up next to him, slumped over, resting her elbows on her knees. She’d washed Yoshino’s blood off her hands. 

Shibi was on the other side of the room and Shikaku could hear his insects buzzing around him, a sure sign that an Aburame was pissed off. Shikaku thought that it was probably taking a massive amount of willpower from them all to keep their killing intent from flooding out and further terrifying his son.

“Here,” Shikaku said to Chouza and stepped up to his side. “Give him to me.”

Shikamaru lifted his head at the sound of his voice and Shikaku had to breath deeply to keep his composure. He looked as miserable as Shikaku felt. Shikamaru reached out with two chubby arms. “D-daddy.”

Shikaku plucked him from Chouza’s arms and cuddled him against his chest. “It’s okay, squirt,” he whispered when Shikamaru clung to him. “I’ve got you.”

The shinobi in the room waited patiently while he calmed his son down. Fugaku left to have the MPF set up a perimeter to keep people out. From the sounds of things, a crowd was forming around the house. He closed his eyes and pressed his face into Shikamaru’s hair. There would have to be damage control and explanations and a funeral - no, no, he couldn’t think about that right now. _One day,_ he told himself. _You need to keep it together just long enough to deal with Danzo._

By the time Fugaku returned, Hiashi had come downstairs and seated himself at the dining room table. Soon there was shuffling as everyone made their way to the table. Shikaku sank into the chair at the head. Ensui remained on his feet at his side. 

“We know who is responsible for this,” Shikaku said. It was shocking even to him, how dull and lifeless he sounded.

“But why? Why would he think he could get away with this? Why do it at all?” Shibi asked and the buzzing around him increased.

Shikaku paused before he answered, pulling together everything he knew about Danzo - which was a lot. “He must have figured out I was going to move against him. Something must have given it away.”

Ensui made a low sound in the back of his throat and Shikaku tightened his hold on Shikamaru, who was letting out small whimpers every few seconds but had stopped crying. Yeah, he and Ensui would both be carrying around regrets about this for a long, long time. Somehow, somewhere, they’d tipped him off in the last twenty-four hours.

“It’s a tactic he uses fairly frequently. When somebody starts looking too closely, he ‘requisitions’ a person they hold dear for Root, then uses that person as leverage to keep them in line.” He had done that more than once. Inuzuka Tsume’s sister was one such hostage, used against her father when he got too close to figuring out some of Danzo’s activities. It was why Shikaku hadn’t invited Tsume today. He doubted she would have faltered in her duty, but he didn’t pit family against family when he could help it.

“So - he was after Shikamaru,” Soari said and Mao snarled, a sound that sent shivers up Shikaku’s spine.

“Yes. He probably didn’t expect the extra protection detail, or for me to realize so quickly that they’d been attacked. If it weren’t for that, he would have had Shikamaru tucked away, and I’m guessing he would have pulled me aside before the leadership meeting to... _persuade_ me to drop the charges against him.” 

His lip curled. “I will tear him apart,” he said in a low tone and everyone around him froze. “I will make him suffer for the death of my wife and attempted kidnapping of my child. Anyone who gets between us will meet the same fate.”

“I will assist you in any way I can,” Fugaku interjected into the uneasy silence. “Though I think death is too easy a fate for him.”

Saori cracked her knuckles and bared her teeth. “I’m in.”

“The Hyuuga will help in whatever capacity you require.”

“As will the Aburame, because nobody in the village is safe while Shimura Danzo lives.”

“You don’t even need to ask,” Inoichi said and Chouza nodded. Both had red eyes and noses. They’d known Yoshino for a long time.

“Alright,” Shikaku said and let out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. “Then here’s the plan -”

“I do hope you have room for one more.” 

If Shikaku hadn’t been holding Shikamaru, he would have attacked Hiruzen and damn the consequences. Ensui, however, had no child in his arms to keep him from acting. He was over the table and across the room before Shikaku could even open his mouth to start yelling. Hiruzen didn’t blink at the kunai being held against his neck by an enraged assassin. 

“This is your fault,” Ensui said in a level tone. Actually, if they wanted to throw blame around, a majority of it could be laid at Shikaku’s feet, but Ensui had always been a little blind to the faults of his older brother.

“That is why I am here. I know Danzo was a monster of my own making. Let me help you fix it.” 

His voice was heavy with regret and sorrow and Shikaku was only a little less angry when he realized it was sincere. Shikamaru had gone lax in his arms, so Shikaku kept his voice down when he spoke so he wouldn’t wake him. “I will not risk Danzo getting away just to assuage your guilt.”

Hirzuen straightened. “You think I would help him? After _this?”_

“I think you might falter. Even after this, yes.”

He wanted to argue, Shikaku could see it in the tense lines of his body and the surge of chakra that was quickly pushed back down. In the end, he tilted his head down and chuckled. “I suppose I cannot blame you for your doubts.”

Shikaku took a breath and let it out. The Sandaime was still one of the strongest shinobi in all of the Elemental Nations, and he was loyal to Konoha despite his blind spots when it came to people he loved. “I need you to take Shikamaru to the Nara compound. Keep him safe there with my clan until I’ve dealt with this.” 

Hiruzen’s eyes widened a fraction before his face hardened into determination. “Yes, Lord Godaime. I will keep your son from harm, I swear it.” Ensui scoffed but removed the kunai from his throat. Good, that meant he agreed that Shikamaru would be safe with him.

“If anyone comes for him, you will kill them without hesitation.”

“Of course. Nodoby will touch him.”

Shikaku stood and made his way over to him. He stopped to look down at Shikamaru’s sleeping face. He breathed in, then breathed out and forced his arms to relax when Hiruzen took him. The despair he’d felt while kneeling by Yoshino’s corpse threatened to overwhelm him until he was able to force the tide down. _Just get through this day._

“Genma. Raido. Go with him.”

“Lord Hokage!”

“Our place is -”

“It’s where I tell you to be,” he bit out harshly, then took a deep breath before continuing in a calmer voice. “There is nothing more precious to me than my son. I need you with him, so I can focus on this fight.”

Genma’s jaw ticked and Raido’s sword hand tremored. He didn’t look away from them and eventually, they both bowed and moved to flank Hiruzen. They’d hold a grudge, most likely, but he couldn’t bring himself to care about it. The only thing holding him together now that he’d handed off Shikamaru was his burning need for revenge.

Shikaku sighed after they’d left, then turned back to the table. He had to keep his wits about him despite the bloodlust tinting everything around him in shadows. He knew that his chakra was starting to leak out of him, making the air heavy, but it wasn’t alone. Now that Shikamaru was gone nobody was holding their control quite so rigidly. Everyone in that room, beneath the politics and clothes and quirks, was a killer. It was in their blood, etched upon their souls, and it was where they were all the most comfortable.

“Alright. There’s no doubt that Danzo’s gone to ground now that his plan has failed. Unluckily for him, we know exactly where all his local hideouts are.” Thank god for the moles’ tendency to dig and dig until they found their prey. “Hiashi and Shibi, you’ll team up with Ensui to discover where Danzo’s hiding out at. The rest of you - prepare yourself for a fight. He won’t come quietly.” 

Shikaku stood and went to find Aska. He needed him to go to the leadership meeting - which started half an hour ago - and give them the censored version of Danzo’s crimes they’d put together earlier. Except now he’d have to add the murder of the Hokage’s wife to the list. 

The trembling in his chest started again, but he squashed it. _Soon. Only a little longer until I can rip apart at the seams._

000

He had been right. The snow had kept coming, blanketing the village in a false sense of peacefulness and silence. They stood at the edge of the village, where Hashirama trees and brush had taken over a seldom-used training area. Flakes of snow danced in the light of their lamps and their breath steamed in the air. Despite his lack of coat, Shikaku didn’t feel the cold. All of his attention was focused on the anticipation of what was to come, on the spot of sky where Saori’s signal would flare once they were ready to coordinate the attack.

She was going in the back with Monkey, Ensui, Tenzo, Hiashi, and Shibi, and one of Ensui’s ANBU team. Well, she and Mao were creating a back entrance with one of the Inuzuka’s more destructive partner techniques for them to go through. They were responsible for finding any hidden Root members and splitting up their forces. Two of Fugaku’s lieutenants from the MPF were paired with two Hyuuga and they were stationed around the area to keep any strays from escaping. Shikaku had been assured that they were highly trusted, and Ensui had put one of his ANBU with each team to ensure that it was true.

Inoichi and Chouza were standing at his sides, just as they always had, their expressions grim. The three of them could handle just about anything that came their way, but whatever the three of them missed Fugaku was sure to destroy with extreme prejudice. 

Shikaku was going to make an example of Danzo and Root, one that nobody was likely to forget anytime soon. Inoichi’s team was already spreading whispers of his crimes across the village and Shikaku could only hope that his fall from grace would reach his ears before Shikaku got to him.

He wanted him to _know_ that his life’s work would be undone, and Konoha would come out stronger for it. In the end, he would die in the burning remains of his mistakes. _It won’t give back what he’s taken from you, though. Something much, much more precious than schemes and subterfuge and power._ He breathed in, then out, forcing that persistent trembling to stop.

“Shikaku...” He looked over into Inoichi’s concerned gaze.

“I’m fine.” 

“Alright,” Inoichi said in a low voice and reached up to grip his shoulder. He knew when to push, and right before battle wasn’t it.

A moment later a red flare lit up the night sky. Blessed iciness flooded his veins and his mind cleared of everything that wasn’t the fight to come. “Let’s go,” Shikaku said.

Chouza stepped forward. He reached down and dug his fingers into the dirt around the trap door that had until a few minutes ago been hidden. His body bulged and grew and after a few seconds of straining the door came loose in a shower of dirt and he straightened, bringing it with him and tossing it carelessly to the side. Fugaku slid in front of him with his blade drawn, knocking away multiple kunai that came sailing out of the dark opening that had been revealed.

Fugaku sheathed his sword and threw a handful of shuriken into the tunnel, then made a familiar sign. Shikaku knew from past battles fought with him that they would multiply in the air. He heard some connect with flesh and saw flashes of sparks when others were diverted.

Fugaku’s eyes lit red and all movement in the dark stopped. “They are under a genjutsu which makes them believe they’ve been dropped through a hole in the ground and are falling.”

“There’s ten of them, down from twelve,” Inoichi added.

Shikaku stretched his neck and prepared to deal death to Danzo’s forces. “Alright. Let’s go.”

They made their way through the tunnels quickly using Inoichi’s ability to sense chakra and the map Shikaku had memorized weeks ago of the twisting, maze-like tunnels, thanks to his summons. He was never complaining about the moles again. If it weren’t for them, Shikamaru would be - well, best not to think about that until he had a moment to himself that wasn’t fraught with intrigue and danger. They killed another four Root members and he could hear explosions and feel the earth trembling under his feet from whatever Soari’s team was doing.

They came to the center of the hideout just as Saori’s team did, though Monkey, Tenzo, and the third ANBU wasn’t with them. Ensui signaled that they were clearing out the rest of the base. A quick visual perusal proved they only had a few minor injuries between them.

The space they’d just entered was a large cavern-like room, the type of ostentatiously dark hideout Shikaku would expect from somebody like Danzo. Huge roots from the trees above ground crept down the walls, offering support and a-little-too-on-the-nose decor.

Danzo stood in the middle, posture relaxed and hand lightly clutching his cane. A dozen Root members stood posed around him. Shikaku wondered how they’d miscalculated the number of men and women Danzo had under his control so badly. 

“You found me more quickly than I would have expected - I had planned on laying low and then fleeing as soon as you relaxed. No matter, I suppose. I’d prefer not to leave my home, anyway.”

Ensui shifted and the shadows being cast by the lanterns on the walls shivered. The rest of the team spread out in a half circle, postures indicating that they were ready for a fight, but nobody tried to step forward. Right, they were waiting for Shikaku’s move. “Shimura Danzo. You are guilty of treason and murder, and I sentence you to death. Anybody that stands with him now will receive the same treatment.”

None of the figures around him so much as twitched and Danzo chuckled. “Here I thought you’d try to arrest me. I suppose you aren’t as much of a weakling as I’d originally suspected. I am sorry about your wife - she was an unfortunate casualty. When I realized somebody had gotten to the files in one of my caches, I was forced to act, you see.”

Shikaku had never felt sick with rage before that moment. Danzo was trying to goad him and despite the obvious nature of the tactic it almost worked. Only a hand on Ensui’s shoulder kept him from leaping forward and more than one of his team shifted as though to attack. Shikaku’s eyes narrowed and he looked around the room. There was a trap somewhere, there had to be. Danzo was too sly to simply be waiting for them in the middle of the room.

“There is a strange chakra in those roots,” Inoichi said softly. Ah. Yes, that was clever. The roots were too well sculpted and a little too sharp at the ends to be natural. 

“Hokage. Please allow me,” Fugaku said. He didn’t know what he planned to do, but Fugaku had always held an uncanny ability to see through traps in the war. He tilted his head in agreement and a moment later Fugaku’s eyes turned red and then the tomoe connected began to _spin._ Well, that was new. 

Danzo was leaning forward almost hungrily, his eye fixed upon Fugaku’s. A moment later the spinning stopped and Fugaku turned to look at him. “When we attack, he will activate a seal that will allow him to control the roots of the trees. They will come to life and attempt to kill us.”

“Fascinating,” Danzo said. “So that is the power of the Mangekyo.”

Fugaku whipped around and took a step forward, drawing his sword. “How do you know about that?” 

Danzo shrugged. “I know many things. Well, the surprise I planned for you is ruined, but that doesn’t mean it won’t still be useful. Go,” he said to his Root guard. 

Shikaku made a sign and twelve lines of shadow sped from him across the ground. He managed to capture four of the members of Root while his team was still covering ground to the rest. The floor rumbling and the whoosh of air as something large sped by him signaled that Chouza was on the move, his huge spinning body leaving a deep furrow in the ground while he headed for the largest of the Root members. 

With a flick of chakra, Shikaku broke the necks of the four Root members caught in his jutsu. Another was wrapped in Ensui’s Death Shroud, struggling as he was suffocated by a layer of dense shadows. Hiashi and Fugaku were taking on four more, and Saori and Shibi were working on the rest with Inoichi moving to support Chouza.

Shikaku looked over just as Danzo reached into his pocket and pulled out a slip of paper. Remembering Fugaku’s warning, he slung a marked kunai straight at Danzo, who twisted to the side to avoid it. A moment later, Shikaku appeared at his back. Danzo jolted in surprise and made to turn, but it was too late. Shikaku’s long knives made a squelching sound when they sank into his back, the right one sliding between ribs to puncture his heart, the left his lung. Shikaku supposed Danzo had underestimated his combat ability, and he certainly hadn’t expected him to know Minato’s famous technique. 

His team was dispatching the rest of the Root members quickly and Shikaku pulled his blades free of Danzo, watching his body fall with a sense of disbelief. That was it? That was all it took to kill the man who had destroyed his family? He stepped back in disgust - at himself for wishing there had been more of a fight, at Danzo for falling so easily. 

Ensui met his gaze across the cavern, expression fierce and satisfied. A moment later, though, it turned to horror. Shikaku turned back to Danzo - who wasn’t as dead as he’d thought and was now standing, bandages on his arm loose and beginning to sag - just in time to watch him activate the seal in his hand.

Inoichi shouted a warning and Shikaku dove out of the way just before one of the huge roots slammed into the spot he’d been standing, leaving a deep crater in the dirt floor. He was forced to roll away when another one attempted to take off his head. All around him, roots as big around as his waist - or larger - were doing their damndest to skewer or crush his team. 

The room lit up from a line of fire that trailed from Fugaku’s mouth as he swung above their heads, riding one of the swinging monstrosities like some sort of demented skateboard. Multiple roots burned and withered under the force of the flames and he heard Saori whoop from somewhere across the room. “Alright, Mao, let’s do this! Flaming wolf fang!”

“Holy shit!” Ensui said and skittered out of the way as two flaming, spinning figures began bouncing around the room, taking out roots with an explosion of wood and ash when they landed a hit. Shikaku saw Ensui slap an explosive tag on his flailing tree limb just before he was forced to pay attention to his surroundings by another root that had focused its attention his way. Shikaku dodged and it made to swing back around towards him but was stopped by two enormous arms wrapping around it. With a gigantic heave, Chouza ripped the root down from the ceiling in a shower of dirt and flung it to the ground. “You and Inoichi deal with Danzo. We’ll keep the roots off your back.”

Shikaku followed his gaze to where Inoichi had gotten between Danzo and the door. Danzo sent a hail of wind scythes at Inoichi to try and get him to move, but he just responded with a thick earth wall that blocked the attacks. Shikaku used his marked kunai - he only had a few left, now - to bring him closer to Danzo while he was distracted by Inoichi’s ninja wire and explosive tags.

This time, Danzo felt him coming and turned his jutsu on him. Shikaku just grinned and let it hit him, disappearing in a cloud of smoke. By the time Danzo realized what happened, he was already trapped in a shadow bind that came from behind, where Shikaku’s real self had landed after waiting for the kunai’s trajectory to go a bit further while his shadow clone acted as a distraction. Danzo flared his chakra with enough force to break the hold a moment later, but by then it was too late - Inoichi had enacted the Mind Body Switch, with Hiashi acting as a guard over prone his body, destroying roots that got too close with a tap of his hand.

Danzo was strong, though, and Shikaku knew they probably didn’t have much time before he forcefully expelled Inoichi’s consciousness. He body flickered over to him and waited for the tell-tale twitch of his muscles that showed Inoichi had vacated the premises before slamming his long knife through the spot where his spine met skull.  

He shouldn’t have been as surprised as he was when Danzo spun around and sliced the sword he’d unsheathed from his cane into Shikaku’s side, but somehow he was. There had been no replacement jutsu, no clones. Somehow, Danzo was surviving death blows. But how? 

Pain bloomed where the sword had left a deep cut in his side but was ignored as he leaped back and sped one-handed through signs. A huge drill of water erupted from his mouth and Danzo released a push of air that caused it to part around him and cut into the wall behind him instead, leaving behind deep furrows and a layer of churning water. Shikaku was already onto the next jutsu, though, and a bolt of electricity hit the water that was now pooled around Danzo.

Danzo’s eyes widened and the earth beneath him surged upward before he got more than one severe shock, taking him out of range of the water. Shikaku took a moment to study Danzo's now-exposed right arm, grimacing when he realized what he was seeing. Eyes - Sharingan eyes - set into pasty, lumpy skin. It was beyond grotesque.

Two of the eyes, he saw, were closed and eight remained open. They must be what was giving him the extra life, though it seemed they wore out after one use. Shikaku rolled his shoulders. Well, he’d wanted a fight. 

Wood exploded a few feet from him when Hiashi slammed a palm into a root that had tried to sneak into his blind spot. The walls of the cavern were lit up by the fires Fugaku and Saori were still dutifully creating and the whole room shook with another explosion from Ensui, who was weaving between the dozens of remaining roots with a roll of ninja wire. 

Danzo had barely stopped twitching from the lightning strike when a swarm of bugs surrounded him. Shibi was standing next to a now-upright Inoichi on the other side of Danzo, arms held out while his insects flowed in a thick swarm from his sleeves. Danzo didn’t cry out when the kikaichu surrounded him and started sucking his chakra away, despite falling to one knee and leaning heavily on his cane. 

He managed a few shakey hand signs before gently blowing a noxious-looking green gas from his mouth, which swirled around him. Kikaichu dropped to the ground when the poison touched them, but Shibi remained grimly determined and eventually, his swarm won out. Danzo collapsed.

“We need to kill him seven more times,” Shikaku called. “He has some sort of Sharingan embedded in his arm that brings him back to life.”

“What,” Fugaku said and the killing intent in the room somehow increased.

The next three deaths were all Fugaku, with the others tagging in to distract Danzo when they could manage to disengage from the killer tree roots. He killed him twice with his sword, and once with a genjutsu that was so terrifying Danzo’s heart gave out. Danzo was no pushover, though, even against so many high-level opponents. He had managed to singe off Inoichi’s eyebrows with a giant fireball, cut a deep furrow into Saori’s left arm trying to fend off a flurry of blows from her tanto, and slam Shibi into a wall and half-drown him with a flurry of water.

The next time Danzo awoke from death, he sank into the earth before they could land another blow. Just as he disappeared Ensui yelled, “Fugaku!” who looked over just in time to catch the end of the roll of wire, which was zig-zagging all over the area, little explosive tags hanging from it in intervals. Not powerful enough to bring down the cavern, but powerful enough to blow a tree apart.

“To me!” Shikaku yelled when he caught on to what was about to happen. His team disengaged with whatever roots they were fighting and flocked to him. 

“Now,” Ensui said and they ducked down just as Fugaku sent fire racing down the lines. Shikaku made a few hand signs and a thick dome of rock and earth swooped over their heads. The explosions rocked the area a few seconds later, though they didn’t last long. Ensui would have made sure it would be fast and devasting so Danzo couldn’t use the chaos as a chance to escape.

Shikaku released the jutsu and stood, sending a quick wind burst (the only wind jutsu he’d ever managed to learn) to clear the smoke and debris from the air. Saori let out a low whistle. The roots were destroyed, laying in pieces or piles of ash around them.

Shikaku took a moment to look over his team. Chouza had used up most of his chakra and Saori had signaled earlier that she and Mao wouldn’t be able to do any more large scale jutsu, either. Shibi’s kikaichu were out for the rest of the fight - he’d lost too many to the poison, which must have been designed with his clan specifically in mind. Fugaku just seemed ready to kill Danzo another three times, though Shikaku knew he had to be exhausted, and Ensui was standing at Shikaku’s side, just as steady as always. 

“Hiashi,” Shikaku ordered. He had slivers of wood in his hair and blood on his white robes, but he was standing as tall and regal as ever.

“Yes.” He activated his Byakugan and a moment later pointed at the wall a few feet from the door. Lucky for them, traveling through the earth using jutsu was slow going, so Danzo was still in the room. “He is there.”

Realizing his escape attempt had been foiled, Danzo’s voice echoed around them. Shikaku wondered if he’d always been so talkative during a fight. “The Sharingan is a beautiful and terrible thing, Fugaku. Your clan is unworthy of its power. You hide it away, hoard it -”

Hiashi was a blur across the room, only stopping when his hand slammed through the wall. It fell in a shower of dust, revealing Danzo slumped down over Hiashi’s arm, obviously dead from a blow to the heart. Three more deaths to go. This was getting tiresome. “You are the only person here who is unworthy.”

A moment later Hiashi was sent sailing away from Danzo by a blast of air. He would have hit the wall on the far side of the chamber if Fugaku hadn’t leaped up and caught him. Shikaku’s school teacher tactics seem to have worked better than he’d thought.

Danzo made a run for the door. Shikaku was already teleporting towards the kunai he’d thrown when Hiashi attacked, mind registering the position of every shadow just before he activated. The world came back into focus and he set a foot down on a long shadow in the doorway and sent it to connect with Danzo’s and freeze him in place.

“Enough of this,” he growled. 

Danzo was flaring his chakra again, struggling against the hold, but Ensui was already there. He drew the sword from Danzo’s cane and with one efficient swing he cut the disfigured arm from his body, then kicked it back through the door to land at Fugaku’s feet. He promptly started it on fire with what seemed to be an undue amount of flame. 

Shikaku loosened the bind enough so Danzo could speak and he turned his furious gaze on Shikaku. “You think you’ve won. You have no idea the plans I have in place, that will continue on in my name for the good of Konoha -”

“Do you mean those information packets you handed out to a few of your fellow fanatics?” Danzo’s eyes widened. “Or maybe you’re thinking of all those alliances you created with our enemies. You think _Orochimaru_ will come to avenge you? Or maybe one of your brainwashed sleeper agents will come for me in my sleep?” He leaned forward and met Danzo’s gaze. “You can’t think I’ve been idle these past months, can you? We’ve dug into all of Root’s little nooks and crannies. Found your weaknesses, discovered your plans and schemes. Your allies and co-conspirators are dead or will be soon. All your plans, all your work. It will be for nothing. Your vision of Konoha will _never_ come to be.”

Danzo opened his mouth to speak, but Shikaku cut him off. “You’re out of tricks.” He let his shadows to wrap around Danzo’s body. “You’re going to die slowly and permanently, without the ability to spout your ridiculous, poisonous rhetoric. Nobody will live to pass on your ideals. My face will be the last thing you see.”

Ensui was back by his side and he watched with a hard gaze when one of the strands moved to cover Danzo’s nose and mouth while the others prevented all movement in his hands. Shikaku watched him writhe and struggle against the jutsu, but he didn’t let up. The only sounds were his muffled screams and his heels dragging at the dirt as they kicked at the ground.

His movements weakened into twitches and jerks. The white around his eyes turned red as blood vessels burst. Finally, he was still. Shikaku released the jutsu only after Ensui stepped forward and removed Danzo’s head from his body with his own sword. 

Inoichi and Chouza moved to stand next to him and a moment later the rest of the team joined them. There was blood running down Shikaku’s side and his long-time enemy was lying dead at his feet. All he felt about the whole thing was...tired. In the end, the price for a precise, thorough takedown of Root was too high. And he was the one who would have to live with it.

Failure had never felt so final.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, so. The end of the Danzo arc is upon us. I guess the ominous tags have been partly explained. Go ahead, let it all out in the comments, but please no ad hominem attacks. A sad author is an author who doesn't write as fast, haha.
> 
> Some of you might be upset, I know I was while writing and editing this, but having Shikaku come out of this fight without any scars just wasn't realistic. Danzo is a wiley, ruthless dude, and he was never going down quietly. People's loved ones tend to drop like flies around him.
> 
> On Fugaku's Mangekyo - we knew he had it, and it earned him the nickname Wicked Eyes, but it was never explicitly stated what it did. I came across a fan theory that it allowed him to see a few seconds into a possible future and thought that was pretty rad. The theory came I guess from some flashback scene with Itachi that I have no memory of. He also has the Tsukuyomi, though his is more fear than torture based (it's what he used on Danzo for one of his deaths), so, there ya go.
> 
> I basically used Danzo's regeneration jutsu as an excuse to have some high-powered nin stand in a circle and take turns bashing his face in since he didn't really have a chance against all of them. It was very therapeutic for me, and I hope you enjoyed his suffering. 
> 
> PS if you’re curious about where Danzo got the Sharingan in his arm google Shin Uchiha. I think that whole tale only came out with Boruto
> 
> Anywaaaay. Yeah. Long author's note, over. *runs away*

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Doodles for 'Worm Charming' by GremlinSR](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19428685) by [OftheValkyrie](https://archiveofourown.org/users/OftheValkyrie/pseuds/OftheValkyrie)




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